The Mark
by dib07
Summary: Vegeta has a secret among many. And though it has been many a year since he last saw Frieza, he cannot escape his old Master's clutches, even now. He is losing weight. Goku is forced to intervene but help is not easy to deliver, especially when a certain saiyan denies it. Slowly the prince falls terribly sick, and if he cannot help himself, who can? Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.
1. That Night

**Dib07: **Hi all, it's me again having another go at Dragon Ball Z fanfiction. After revisiting the series I've got a better idea of what I want to write, and it's going well. As of those who are reading Nightwish, don't worry, that is still being updated too. I love both stories, though I have to say I prefer this one because of what it's going to turn into, and ahh the angst! Anyway, I spell Kakarott differently, so sorry for the confusion. Habits are hard to break once I start them. Also, Vegeta is going to be more like the English version. I like both the Japanese and the English versions, but I have a soft spot for Christopher Sabat and the way he portrays him. Also I see Frieza as female... a lot. Like, all the time, so I am going to do my best to keep him male, but... it's hard. So hard! XD So anyway, enjoy and PLEASE review!

**The Mark**

A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction

By Dib07

23.07.2013

**Chapter One: That Night**

"Blow on them and make a wish!"

"Like the dragon balls?"

"Well, kind of." Bulma answered kindly, patting her son on the shoulder. "Go on now."

They all watched as Trunks, five years old today, blew out his candles. There was a clap of hands and Goku switched on the lights. Goten reached forward to swipe a smoking candle for himself and Goku guided him back down on his seat.

"Presents!" Trunks whined, clapping his pudgy hands.

"Don't you want any cake first?" His mother replied. Goten was up again, reaching for the delicious cake with a groping hand. Goku looked on, exasperated. He lifted his eyebrows suddenly when he felt a familiar yet old ki flex not more than a few yards from him. He didn't need to glance round to know who it was. Vegeta had been standing behind Bulma to watch the celebrations from a distance: as he often did. He liked to observe and he typically tried not to look too 'involved.' When he and Goku met eye to eye, the smaller saiyan gave him a tiny inclination of his head, and then turned and headed out the back door while Trunks asked for the candles to be lit again.

Goku smiled. Bulma could handle the little ones for a while.

He made his way outside too in patient silence. It was a ruby evening, one of the brightest the saiyan had ever seen. Red ink seemed to melt into the buildings and the windows turned into sheets of gossamer fire. Though winter was approaching it was a marvellously warm evening. Vegeta had marched down to the other end of the porch. He gave Kakarott a heated glare and folded his arms. If he still had his tail, Goku believed it would have been waving irritably up and down like a lion's.

It was obvious Vegeta wanted to fight. The saiyan prince got like this from time to time, not often mind. Every hot-blooded saiyan trained until the aggression was more or less tamed. It was ironic. Normal men had testosterone to worry about. Saiyans had belligerence instead that needed 'trimming.' Sometimes there was so much of it that saiyans typically didn't have much of a sex drive and that was one of the reasons why Goku had been so surprised when Vegeta and Bulma had had a baby so soon. Saiyans never had been fertile creatures. They put all their energies into fighting rather than breeding, and most saiyan women only produced a baby male once every thirty years, and females, like the males, generally had low fertility. But since pairing up with human partners, Goku had found that having children had been... easier. And Vegeta had discovered this too. Not that it seemed to make any difference to him whether little Trunks was an accident or not. But one thing was certain. Human life was by far more relaxing for Vegeta, and ever since he had escaped the icy claws of his late Master Frieza, a human side to him had begun to grow, but it was so small it was barely there. Even when Vegeta tried to hide his feelings, Goku sensed them. A large part of the saiyan prince still wanted to retain his coldness and ferocity, but often he found himself torn in two. He wanted to be with his family, yet years of emotional abuse from Frieza had kept him away. And if having a child could not heal Vegeta, then nothing would. It made Goku angry to think how much damage one alien could do to the saiyan prince, however it was all past now, and Vegeta had to rise above it: somehow.

_Somehow._

"Come on you useless dope! You and I both know that you have nothing else better to do than to wipe your son's nose."

Goku brushed some of his long black hair out of his face. "We sure are busy being dads, aren't we? Kids take up so much time and..."

"I didn't bring you out here to discuss parenting!" Vegeta snarled, and he unfolded his arms.

Goku liked the way the prince's lips curled when he got upset or agitated. He also liked the spark of life and excitement in Vegeta's eyes because he felt the same way inside. Goosebumps rose up along his bare forearms.

"Lead the way, Vegeta. You know where to go." Gosh it had been too long since _he_ had last fight too. He could barely hold the excitement. It welled upward like smoke.

"I sure fucking do." Summoning a burst of ki, Vegeta lifted off into the air like a torpedo and the palm trees in the garden swayed, their leaves fluttering like a thousand book pages. Goku followed suit, and soon they were zooming away from the city and into the savage wilderness of the West Land where the wild creatures roamed. The valleys rose up like gnarled fists, and the trees stood in the red twilight like thoughtful sentries. They always came this way should the need to fight grow too strong. This way no one would get hurt from a stray blast, and no property damaged. In fact, the valley had slowly but surely been shaped by their spars as of late. There was a river where there was once nothing but a dry scrape of a valley, and all the trees here had been levelled, including some hills. Now a great ravine had divided the West end from the East, and Goku knew that very soon the people from the city would start complaining. After all, he and Vegeta were usually the ones that caused the thunderstorms – and the earthquakes. Goku had even once suggested to the prince that they spar further afield – perhaps to somewhere even _more _remote, like an island off the coast or something, but Vegeta had flatly denounced the complaint. "I know you have tendencies of brain malfunction sometimes Kakarott, but even you should know that if we move too far away from home, how will we get back in time to save our loved ones should an attack on Earth happen? Besides, these are mere farmers and naturalists complaining. They don't realize how vital it is that we make ourselves stronger. No one can understand the needs of a saiyan unless they are one themselves."

And so the decision to move further afield had been dropped just like that. Yes Vegeta was a psychopath sometimes, and yes he got angry really, _really_ fast, but he was also acutely intelligent and coolheaded when jealously and arrogance weren't clouding his vision. And Goku valued him for those virtues.

Before they had even got to the sparring area Vegeta started it off early. Goku wasn't expecting it, and he couldn't evade the blast in time. Hot, crimson energy whammed into his side and he felt the hillside when he got plastered with rock and creeping ivy. He pulled himself away and turned to the smug prince. "Hey! No fair!"

"We aren't whelps, Kakarott. Now face up to me like a saiyan!" He extended the palm of his hand and fired a few more ki shots that sped through the air like bullets. Goku deflected them easily enough and then charged straight for Vegeta. So absorbed were they in their fighting that neither of them noticed the ruby evening draining away, and no one noticed the shy stars coming out to play. Without a moon the planet grew that bit darker than normal every night, but this didn't trouble the saiyans. Both had saiyan night vision: a condition that arose from having Oozaru blood, and though this didn't grant them crystal clear vision, their pupils opened out more, allowing in as much light as possible. And of course since they sensed ki anyway, they didn't need daylight to fight. But it helped.

A few new craters had opened up during the night, and their heavy clashes boomed across the valley like thundering juggernauts. Though none of them were going all the way, for there was no high stakes (and thus no pure adrenaline that was obtained only when a pure challenge existed), they still enjoyed it. To them there was nothing better. This was relief, therapy and entertainment all in one. Vegeta even burst into laughter at one point as he tried to launch a high-ki blast at Goku that was reminiscent to his all-favourite Galit Gun. It missed entirely of course – Goku went to deflect it, and as Goku blasted forward to strike back, Vegeta fell into hysterics – simply _because_ he was having such a good time. Goku went to stop his attack, his guard a little thrown. Vegeta snarled, smirked and chuckled at other people's expense, but he never truly smiled or laughed from a gladness of heart. Goku would have laughed with him of course, if Vegeta had not opened his eyes and saw his rival before him, staring. So he then snapped back into attack-mode and they battled it out for another ten minutes. Ten very violent minutes. The black sky belched with every kind of incandescent colour and an onlooker many miles away might have mistaken their activities for fireworks as fire and energy raced and exploded in the sky.

Vegeta, having poured out an assault of heavy azure bombs and awaiting Goku to receive them, hovered in mid-air to admire his carnage. Below him the ground was sweltering with heat and smoke and with craters just about everywhere. Goodness knows how many trees they have levelled this time. Luckily the animals were smart enough to get well clear in time. Then, as Goku was making a return after being pulverised (even the prince could see from here that his red training shirt was smoking around the edges), he felt something hot and searing explode in his head, and his energy levels faltered incredibly. Goku was on top of him at the same moment, and unable to throw up a guard in time, Vegeta was sent spinning downward. He would have been able to see the whole planet seem to veer and spin before him had he been able to see. After Goku hit him everything went dark. He knew his eyes were open, the wind resistance was making them water, and there had been plenty of light for his saiyan eyes to see by. Yet, even if he had been able to see, his head kept hurting, and his ki seemed to spill out of him like blood escaping from a wound. He knew the impact was coming... he just needed to...

The impact never came. He fell into someone's arms. Kakarott's arms. He knew this because he was surrounded by the low class saiyan's familiar ki, and the muscles in his arms felt like rock until they relaxed. There was an _umph _sound coming from Kakarott from the exertion of catching him, and the low class saiyan swayed from Vegeta's sudden weight, but he held his ground.

Not checking for an instant to feel if he had actually come to ground level yet, Vegeta batted Goku away with a fist, causing the arms to drop him. He landed the last four feet.

"Vegeta? What are you..."

"Shut it, you fool! Never _touch_ me! Ever!" He kept slapping at the air, he meant to hit Goku, but of course he had moved away to a reasonably safe distance. Then, miraculously Vegeta's vision began to come back. It was hazy at first, all mottled and cloudy as if his eyes had been flushed with water. Then the stark, grey light of night came back and he saw the dim figure of Goku standing a few feet away with his hands reaching out. Vegeta hit them away. The ugly ache in his head was fading fast too, and cool relief flooded through his system.

"Vegeta? Are you, okay?" Goku asked earnestly. "Your ki... it..."

"Oh go cry me a river." He went to stand. It probably wasn't the best idea since nothing like this had ever happened to him before, but he couldn't allow his pride to be bruised anymore than it was already. So he steadily rose up, and stood without feeling faint or weak. And his ki had stabilized too. It wasn't as strong as it was before, but it was natural to feel weary after a good spar with Kakarott.

Goku, seeing him stand without help, lowered his hands and stood quietly. Vegeta didn't say anything either. He looked around, sure there was something other than himself to blame for what just happened. But there was nothing. Just levelled, flat plains, a few scorched trees, and lots and lots of smoking craters.

"We'd better go back. Goten will want his bedtime story." Goku murmured at last, changing the subject. He knew that furthering a point that irritated Vegeta would only cause more aggravation.

"Yes." He returned, doing his best to keep the anger out of his voice. Usually he felt good after their sparring sessions and he got a good night's sleep out of them too, but tonight he felt more frustrated than he had before, and this made him rage inside even moreso. For now though he put on his poker face. He didn't want to be out here anymore. He wanted to be at home, alone, thinking things over. "Come on, then. We've spent enough time out here as it is."

They both took to the air and before long they were zooming back to Capsule Corp. Goku strayed behind a little to keep an eye on Vegeta. He could sense his ki no matter what position he was near the saiyan prince, but it was good to visually study him as well. After a few minutes of this study, Goku relaxed and his eyes fell to the great, spiralling valleys below. There was nothing to be concerned about. Whatever had happened had been a hiccup. Perhaps Vegeta had been tired as of late. He was very good at hiding stress and fatigue, and he wouldn't let it show until he collapsed, as Goku had not long ago witnessed. Apparently Vegeta had shown the same if not familiar symptoms back on Namek when they had put Goku in an isolation healing tank: Gohan had told him once that Vegeta had shown strange signs, like he had been... well, falling ill. If Vegeta rested up, he would be fine come the morning. Goku rolled his eyes. He was always so worried about his comrades and fighters that he often got a little_ too_ concerned. "I'm getting too much like my wife." He muttered to himself. Still, no matter how much he tried to soften his worry, he was still unsettled at how sudden the prince's collapse had been. If he had not been there to catch him, Vegeta would have got some nasty bruises for sure...

"Hurry it, Kakarott! You're slowing down!" Vegeta shouted from the front.

Goku smiled. He was back to his old self. He had to be fine.

Obeying Vegeta's frugal command, Goku applied more energy, and together they blasted through the air.

XXX

Later that night, Vegeta snapped awake. He wasn't sure why, or what had awoken him (sometimes a burst of unknown ki was enough to startle him from sleep no matter how deep), for the darkened room was calm and peaceful. The lilac curtains flapped and blew in the breeze – Bulma liked to keep a window open so that she could hear the wind sigh – and outside all was quiet. Vegeta sat up, not trusting the silence. Sometimes he was still surprised to find himself in Bulma's bedroom even after all these years. After particularly bad dreams that left him sweaty and shaken, he'd bolt upright, absolutely certain he was back in Frieza's ship. He'd stare around, sure to see his old chamber and hear the console readouts as Frieza informed him of his latest mission. Then his focus would sharpen, his senses would pick up nothing of what his half-dream-ridden brain was telling him and he'd gasp in relief to find himself on Earth with a sleeping woman snug beside him. But sometimes even that wasn't enough. He'd turn his head quickly; sure he had missed the alien standing coolly in a darkened corner of the room, watching him with low red-lit eyes, or the monster would be waiting outside for him, his cruel face staring in at him through the window.

Vegeta looked down at Bulma. She was on her side and sleeping soundly. One hand had sought his. He hadn't even felt the contact, and he cursed himself for allowing his guard to drop even just a little. He wrenched his hand away, then cursed at himself more for being so cold hearted. Frieza himself had made him this way: ruthless. Barbaric. Just like he had been. There was never any love in that alien. He had tried to love Vegeta as any father could love a child, but the alien did it barbarically. And now Vegeta was left with nothing but an aftertaste of black hatred.

"Will I ever be truly free of you, Frieza?" He whispered woefully in the dark. He gazed down at Bulma for a moment longer and moved the blue hair from her cheek with a deft touch of his fingers. She was so beautiful for a human female: yet to weak and so... helpless.

He removed his hand quickly as if he had just burned himself. What _was_ he thinking? He was a pure blooded warrior. Warriors did not_ feel_ like the humans did. Or love. Their passion was to only get stronger. Frieza had been obsessed with just the same desire.

_And look where it had got him._

After sitting up for some time, listening to the night and the gentle breathing of his partner, Vegeta swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He approached the full length mirror that hung on the wall by the cabinet. Even in the dark his saiyan vision could still perceive what stood before him in that mirror, and he didn't like it. What he saw was a thing reeking of fear and self-loathing. This was not who he was. When he first touched-down on Earth alongside Nappa, the man who helped take care of him when he was smaller, he had been filled with life, determination... and hunger. And though Frieza had long since died, Vegeta felt chained, even now. The man standing small in the mirror confirmed it. But instead of slamming a fist into that trembling figure with the dark, staring eyes in a gaunt face, he turned sharply away on his heels and addressed the window. The curtains licked up his arms from the wind, and as he looked out, he felt calmer. More in control.

"What's happening to me, father?" He asked, not sure himself exactly which father he was referring to.

But the cold night did not answer him.

It never did.


	2. Bulma's Concern

Dib07: Hiya guys and gals, new chapter up because I am really vamped at all the positive feedback I am getting! And trust me, it helps! I was going to upload this on Saturday, but I've done a lot on this story, and it's being enjoyed by you, so here it is! And yeah, my internet is being a pain, so I may not be able to reply to your reviews until the weekend. And if all goes well, I might update again on Saturday as well! See ya!

**XxxX**

**Chapter Two: Bulma's Concern**

**XxxX**

"What's wrong, my dear? Running away? You can run all you like, but it won't make any difference."

His voice was cold and brittle, and it purred outward like the deathly breath of winter.

Vegeta had nowhere to turn. In the dark recesses of his master's spaceship, there would be no one to see. And no one to care. Frieza laid a hand on his shoulder and smacked his cheek once, and then twice. The white, hot pain lanced across Vegeta's young face.

"That's what you get for disobeying me." Frieza exclaimed coolly.

"B-But I was hungry..." Tears welled up in his eyes. Not from the pain of the fatherly slaps, but from the shame of being caught.

"You had your rations, like everyone else here aboard this ship, and it's going to be another nine months until we get back home. That's a long time, and if you steal another undeserved mouthful ever again, little one, then you _will _have something to cry about."

"Y-Yes, M-Master Frieza."

Behind him, the doors slid open and Nappa stood at attention in the doorway, one hand across his chest in salute. "Lord Frieza, another ship is hailing us. Awaiting your command."

Frieza smiled wickedly at his orphaned saiyan child, his eyes falling lastly to Vegeta's little tail that often curled around objects like it was a third hand. He patted Vegeta on the head and rose. "Very well. Nappa, take care of Vegeta. Children do have a habit of being naughty."

"Yes, my Lord."

Then something changed. Vegeta was no longer on the ship travelling the cosmos but on Earth, brushing his teeth over the sink. He turned the faucet on and looked into the mirror, only to see Frieza's hot red eyes glaring back at him from behind.

Vegeta jerked up from bed, choking and coughing. Then something went off beside him: it emitted a terrifying ringing sound, and he instinctively shot out a fist and hammered the source of the noise to death. Only when Bulma got up, screeching with shock that he realized what he had done. The alarm clock was all bolts, smashed glass and springs on the nightstand.

The silence was terrible. And then Bulma opened her mouth.

"You scared the crap out of me!" She wailed, tightening the blankets against her bare breasts. "Alarm clocks aren't cheap you know, especially the sweeping motion ones! Jesus!"

"I'll buy you a new one." He grumbled impassively, ripping away the bedcovers and grabbing his white boots.

"Well, it's your turn to take Trunks to school anyhow. You can buy a new clock on the way home."

"Fine, fine."

He did as he was bid, only because it took his mind away from the unsettling nightmare. He woke Trunks up, helped dress him and poured him a glass of orange juice while the young boy ate up his bowl of Cheerios. Well, it wasn't really school Trunks was heading to. More like Day-care. Vegeta didn't care either way where his son ended up, as long as his chores over and done with.

Children were a waste of time as far as he was concerned. And it wasn't exactly his fault that Bulma hadn't been taking her contraception pills when they had their little amalgamation. But a child he had. And though he tried to think of Trunks as _his,_ _his_ son, _his _blood, and wanted to at least like him if love could not be conceived, he couldn't help but think of Frieza's fatherly assiduousness whenever he touched Trunks.

"Dad..."

"Hmm?"

Trunks had finished his cereal and he was now in the process of sliding off his chair to head to the bathroom to brush his teeth. But he had stopped halfway across the kitchen. Vegeta had just finished packing the small boy's lunch and he turned to cast his son a weary, half-irritated glance as if to say; '_this had better be good. I don't have all morning'_

"What's that thing on your arm?"

Vegeta frowned, his lips opening to express his puzzlement. Then he took a quick look down at his arms. It was more out of reflex than concern. But he _did_ see something. There was a black stain, or a mark on his left arm just below the shoulder. And after his eyes had fallen on it, his frown thinned out in recognition. Then with a deft jerk, he pulled down his short-sleeve further to hide the blemish. "Just a bruise." He retorted absent-mindedly. "Now wash up. I'll meet you at the front door. Hurry now."

Trunks rushed into the bathroom, never one to keep his father waiting.

While the child was washing up, Vegeta burned his eyes into the mark on his arm. Anger mottled his visage for a sparse few seconds, then he collected himself, grabbed his son's lunch and headed to the door. "It's only a myth." He muttered to himself. "Only a stupid myth he told to frighten me."

Trunks came out of the bathroom. "Ready, dad."

"Okay, kid. Follow me." He opened the door and blasted off into the sky.

XXX

On the way back home after dropping Trunks off at Day-care or whatever the humans called it (for humans had strange customs indeed), Vegeta was in the north valley far, far from home. He hadn't gone to the shop as he had promised, and neither had he bought an alarm clock. He was sitting on the riverbank in the sunshine, and he had a handful of leaves secured in one fist. With them he rubbed the leaves furiously against the blemish on his skin. But as much as he tried to rub it away, he knew the mark was internal and it would not be scrubbed off by mere leaves of any sort. Angry, Vegeta slapped the leaves into the river and picked up a rock. Using its sharpest edge, he began to cut through the skin. It hurt at first, but the pain wasn't entirely unpleasant. And like all hot-blooded saiyans, his pain tolerance was significantly high. But the result was much the same. No matter how much he tried to hack away the skin, the blemish remained until it got lost behind a waterfall of slowly dripping blood. Sometimes his vision wavered, and he blamed it on blood loss.

At last he dropped the piece of rock to one side and he let the open wound bleed at leisure. He looked toward the sky and wondered briefly what life might have been like if he had been granted his immortality. Sometimes he dreamed it; sometimes he fancied being that 'ultimate being.' And sometimes more often than not he thought of Goku and his sickening acts of kindness, of his shrimp of a son, but more importantly he thought of Bulma.

_Women are strange creatures. _He concluded. His vision wavered again, and he responded in kind by rubbing at his eyes until his watery vision returned to normal. The grass soaked up the majority of the blood that glugged down his wrist, and the pebbles became shiny, luminous red. Once his self-inflicted slashes had stopped bleeding, he wrapped his whole arm in leaves and binded them tight with reed stalks. Even this process restarted the bleeding a little, and he felt it gathering warmly behind the wall of leaves. But it didn't matter. It would heal in a few days.

It was odd though. As he sat, looking down at his rippling reflection on the river's surface, he felt dizzy. Light-headed almost. As if he had been training, and was exhausted by it.

As his eyes strained at the water, he could almost imagine Frieza coming to stand beside him in the reflection, with his arms crossed at the back and his tail held high. "You can weep and sulk all you like," the reflection of Frieza said, "but it won't change a thing. And why worry? I always knew your life would amount to nothing without me as your guiding hand, and look what's happened. You've amounted to nothing."

"I have a son and partner."

"Every manner of creature can breed, Vegeta. It is hardly something to boast about. After all, what else _can _monkeys do, hmm?"

Vegeta splashed his hand on his reflection and the image fragmented into dozens of watery colours. And the imaginary Frieza disappeared too.

"Fuck you, Frieza." A sharp wind blew. Vegeta drew to his feet. He locked eyes with the river until it too turned hazy and started to warble like melting glass. He rubbed angrily at his eyes until the river straightened and was normal in his vision once again. He held his hands up to his face and saw them trembling. Unsettled, confused and angry, he took to the sky: heading further away from home. Unless he escaped this anxious state there was no point in returning home. There was nothing worse than letting his family see him weakening before their very eyes.

He could fix this on his own, besides.

Or so he thought.

He wasn't sure where he was taking himself. He just flew, marvelling at how pleasant it was to be all alone, and to feel the wind slap and cut into his body as he achieved maximum speed. The Earth rolled beneath him like choppy waves of soil, forest and oceans. His mind raced along with his speed, but no matter how fast he flew, and how hard he tried to keep his mind busy, he could never escape Frieza's stony whispers. Every so often, no matter what he was doing, whether he was bathing Trunks, cuddling Bulma closely to him, or battling Kakarott, images – past memories would flood into him, and he felt the old echoing pain of Frieza hammering into his back from behind on that day once upon a time on Namek when he was left at the mercy of his foster father: that beast who he had stood side by side with now deliberately sought to kill him slowly, delivering maximum pain by bursting Vegeta's organs one at a time after breaking his spinal column. The rupturing kidneys had been the worst. Vegeta had felt his insides swim with swelling gore. Felt everything begin to die inside... The agony had been so pure...

The cruelty that Frieza had shown him was beyond anything he would ever know. And he couldn't go through such a thing again. Sometimes the very thought of what that alien had done to him made him want to be sick.

Something broke his concentration and fortunately put aside his dark thoughts. He sensed a far-off ki. A familiar one. He had not known he had flown this far, and he hesitated, his speed slowing down considerably. There was no point in hiding his ki. The owner of this land would have sensed him long before he knew it.

Making up his mind, Vegeta descended until he felt his white boots touch down on the hard, chalk-like dirt. The sloping valleys were calm and tranquil. Birds sang dubiously in the trees and a lake curtained by willows rippled with fish. He stood surveying it all with angry eyes. When he turned he caught sight of the owner who had been standing, arms crossed, by his little stone hut dwelling. He had been watching him from the moment he had touched down.

"I hope this unexpected visit of yours is a pleasant one." Said Piccolo. "I don't often get visitors as it is, least of you creatures like you."

Vegeta turned to look up at the soft, white clouds scuttling overhead. He didn't like small talk, but he found that asking for help was even harder to tolerate. Out of all the earthlings he had to come across, it had to be a green Namekian of all things. But maybe that wasn't so bad. After all, Piccolo might know a thing or two of natural healing, and of eliminating certain types of marks... And maybe he even had a senzu bean in his possession.

"I am not here to fight." Vegeta returned frankly.

"Oh." Piccolo remarked, not convinced, but happy to be proven wrong. "Well, what _are_ you here for then?" Vegeta turned to him at last and he caught the sight of a dragon ball on a wooden table in Piccolo's little home near the doorway. The sight was only brief. The Namekian caught sight of what it was he had gleaned, and stepped between the ball and the saiyan: blocking it from view.

"What do you know of tattoos that empower or raze the beholder?"

"Tattoos?" Piccolo asked, bemused.

"Yes. Distinct markings that can influence a creature's power. What do you know of them?"

Piccolo shrugged and unfolded his arms. "Little to nothing. Why do you ask?"

"Stop being so paranoid. I am not here for your dragon ball." Vegeta snarled, hateful of Piccolo's groundless suspicions.

Piccolo watched him, waiting for the saiyan to spit out what he wanted to say, but it didn't happen. It was obvious Vegeta was edgy, and wanted something. Why else had he stopped here? It was not for a chat. "You're here for my advice, then?" Still he got silence in return. "About this tattoo you keep mentioning... have you seen it somewhere?"

That was a question Vegeta _could_ answer that didn't indirectly require him to ask for aid of any sort. "Yes. On my arm. It just appeared overnight. At least, I assume it did."

"Just appeared? On your arm? What have you and Goku been up to now? Don't tell me you both got drunk and accidently ended up getting tattoos from some unlicensed parlour down China Street?" Piccolo could not help but chuckle.

"No, it did not happen that way!" Vegeta snapped, his rebuke so rough and incensed that Piccolo dropped his smile at once.

"All right." Piccolo said, keeping his voice calm and steady. He could tell just by studying Vegeta's ki and not the look on his face that he was upset. "Show me."

Vegeta eyed him squarely, as if half tempted to believe that Piccolo would trick him. Then he relaxed, albeit barely, and stepped forward. He pulled up the sleeve on his arm to reveal the binding of river reed leaves. Then, tugging them off too, he revealed a very blooded arm. Piccolo, amused by what Vegeta was showing him, closed the distance between them and inspected the gory mess with his eyes at first. When he moved to touch Vegeta and bring his arm closer, the prince flinched away and bared his teeth.

"Don't touch me." He growled.

"Then don't expect much help from me."

That very word he hated so much set Vegeta off. At once he retracted his arm and took a hasty few steps back. Piccolo watched after him, confused.

"What are you doing? You didn't give me much of a chance to look!"

"Forget it." Vegeta snapped tersely, holding his arm to him. "Don't breathe a word of this to anyone, you hear me?" Before the Namekian could voice a reply, the saiyan prince pounced into the air and zoomed away, leaving a vapour trail behind him. Piccolo stared after this vapour trail for untold minutes, his confusion only heightening. Vegeta was a real oddball sometimes. At most he was predicable – his pride allowed his character to be readable much of the time, but every so often no one could tell what he was thinking.

After some thought that brought no results to explain the saiyan prince's strange visit, Piccolo returned back to his house and gazed at the single starred dragon ball resting on his dining table. Its surface mirrored back his perplexity.

xx

_Two days later..._

xx

"And you are out!" Goku cried, laughing despite himself. Gohan had tripped up several times on the last throw, and as such he had been unable to hit the ball. Goku had been going lightly on him besides. A simple game of tennis was no battle to the death, but he couldn't help but toy with his son, and ensure his victory. Saiyans were a jealous type of creature who loved to win through competition above all else. Even when it came down to simple leisurely games.

Gohan threw down his tennis racket, flushed in the face but smiling all the same. "Gee dad, is there anything I can beat you at? You win at everything."

"Ha ha, yeah, sorry about that. I just can't seem to help myself!" His grin stretched wider while one hand went round to scratch nonchalantly between his shoulder blades. "With some more practise you'll beat me some day. Remember that aim and speed are everything. It's no good having a good throw if you can't catch my blindside."

"Says you." Gohan replied good naturally. "Hey, how about we score us some lunch? There's that new pizza store down the road. We can eat there!"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Goku patted his stomach, his hunger growing increasingly at the mere mention of food. He hadn't eaten in two hours, and for him that was a stretch.

After putting the tennis rackets away and putting the felt yellow ball back in its net in the back garden shed, Chi Chi came running out with a mobile phone in her hand. Goku looked up, paying more mind to his rumbling stomach than whatever news his wife had for him.

"Chi Chi," he called, "what's wrong?"

After closing the gap she handed him the phone as if it was a spiky cactus she wanted to hold no longer. "It's your old friend, Bulma. She wants a word with you. But make it quick, I have my knitting club to go to and I need to ring Marty to see if she's still coming today."

"Okay, okay."

Chi Chi gave him an impatient look, and then she promptly marched across the lawn and back into the cool shade of the house. Goku didn't blame her for making a quick return to seek shelter. It was hot out here, way too hot. Even during an easy tennis match the sweat was pouring off him, and summer was ending, winter right around the corner. Still, he loved all seasons, and he could tolerate the heat.

Remembering his duty he held the phone to his ear. "Hello Bulma? This is Son Goku."

"Oh thank god. I've been ringing all day. Where have you been?"

"Urm, playing tennis with my son, and Chi Chi's been out shopping. She only just got back. Why, what's wrong?" He disliked phones. They served their fundamental purpose, but he could not sense a person's ki down a phone line, and neither could he gauge how someone was feeling. He was used to his own tools of the trade, and a phone just amplified how useless his probing powers were when it came to technology. But, all thoughts aside, he could still tell that Bulma was distressed by the shrill tones in her voice, and women found it particularly hard to hide what they were feeling.

"I know this is going to sound stupid, and I know I worry too much, but Vegeta's been gone for over two days straight. The last I saw of him was on Monday when he was dropping Trunks off at Day Care. Now it's Wednesday and there's been no sign of him."

"I'm sure he's just training somewhere and lost track of time."

"That's what I thought too, but ever since Trunks was born he's never left us for more than a day. He always comes back to either tuck his son into bed, or to see me. He's a lot more family orientated than you think, Son!" This last part was accusation, and Goku felt guilty whether he deserved her allegation or not. He hadn't seen that much of Vegeta lately, and he usually kept out of his social life. The prince preferred it that way. "You know in your heart how much he has changed. Remember what he did for my last birthday? You were there."

He was. And he still remembered.

Vegeta had jumped behind Bulma, had grabbed her, and had flown off with her. Some of them panicked, namely Krillen but Piccolo had stood there and laughed. Intrigued, Goku went after the prince. Turned out, Vegeta was clasping Bulma against his chest and holding her tightly so that she could spread her arms out to the sky and look downward as the earth passed beneath: Vegeta was showing her the world from his perspective. It was such a sweet gift he gave her. Not that she had ever flown before, but it was just the way he had done it. He had done it all wordlessly, yet he had been so full of love and devotion. He had never had anyone to love and protect before, and he was smiling as he was showing Bulma the world. And he did not speak, as if doing so would somehow spoil the experience for her. But him smiling had remained in Goku's memory most of all: and the look of pure happiness on Bulma's face.

Yes he had changed. Remarkably. He was a real softie inside, once you got past the immeasurable rocks of his pride that is.

"And you haven't heard from him?" Goku queried anxiously.

"Not at all. Can you just check on him? Make sure he hasn't hurt himself? You know how much of a masochist he is. When he's depressed... he doesn't tell anyone. He just... takes it out on himself."

"Yeah, I know." Goku blew out a sigh. "Okay. I'm on it. I'll drag him back to you if I have to. What time is it?"

There was a pause and he could imagine a crease of confusion developing on her brow. Then: "Urm, eleven thirty in the morning. You really need a watch, Goku."

"Expect him back by twelve!" And he pressed the disconnect button, ending the call. "So much for pizza. Oh well." He smiled a little. Vegeta in trouble? Could it possibly be? What a story that would make! He didn't care much for food anyway. Helping his friends always outweighed anything else. And Vegeta had become a favourite friend of his, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone else. Jealously being the number one factor. What would Krillin think if he ever learned of Goku's new favourite?

Gohan came over donning a backpack. "Well then, pizza time?"

"Sorry Gohan, but I have a job to do. Bulma just called and Vegeta's gone missing. Strange, huh?"

"Really?" Goku was hearing a lot of bewilderment today. He merely straightened and nodded his head. "Uh. Can I help?"

"No, not today. You know Vegeta. He barely tolerates my help as it is, and if he saw you, he'd just have a mega sulk. I shan't be long. Wait for me!"

"But dad! Pizza?"

But Goku had already gone.


	3. You are Not Alone

**Dib07: **Hi, another update is here! After this chapter it's going to get really, really interesting! So please keep the feedback rolling in, I need feeding! XD And if any of you know any good Vegeta angst, or Vegeta X Bulma fics out there, let me know. Or even Vegeta X Goku. Thanks.

**Jalfal:** Sorry I didn't reply to you in my last update, I was so rushed to update the chapter before my internet cut out that I didn't have time to say what I wanted! Thanks a ton for the feedback, I hope you keep enjoying it, and I hope it keeps surprising you!

**XxxX**

**Chapter Three: You Are Not Alone**

**XxxX**

"Now, if I was Vegeta, where would I be?"

This was Goku's primary question as he began to scour the city, the smaller towns and the valleys and forests for his friend. At first nothing turned up, not even the faintest signal of Vegeta's signature ki. Each individual had their own aura that was easy to identify. It was as unique as a person's face and voice. He could sense everyone else. Except the one he sought. So that meant the prince was not in the direct vicinity of civilisation which was unusual. Vegeta was always close by. For what else was out there except lonely wilderness?

Unless of course he had had a sudden urge to look for the dragon balls.

Goku stood on the top of a hill and forced himself into a calm state before concentrating his senses once more. Too often his own anxiety bubbled up, thus drowning out his ki perception, skewing it if you will to produce false readings. It was also possible (though unlikely) that Vegeta was in trouble, and that his unique ki was too weak to find right away. Again Goku tried to probe the surrounding wildlife, and when that produced no results, he sought further afield.

"Where are you?" He whispered. The keen, late summer wind was all that answered him. His worry increased. Vegeta's moods got really dark sometimes, and he was no stranger when it came to hurting himself – and these inflictions weren't exactly light either. But what could he be depressed about that would suddenly cause him to abscond Bulma and his son out of the blue?

"There!" His eyes widened. He had him! The reading of ki was small, a pin dot really in a sea of open blue sky, and somewhere off to the east in nomad country, but it was there all the same. Goku could never mistake the icy blue flare that was Vegeta's spiritual heart energy. He floated up from the hill top he had been standing on and accelerated upwards into the clouds, making short work of the miles. As he approached, Vegeta's ki grew steadier and he was able to pinpoint it much more easily. Goku rarely came to these parts of the world. There was not much to see, just lonely caves, hills and sparse woodland that held little life. There was a lot of seaside coast, and during the winter all that could be heard was the harsh boom of the tide as the waves reared and smacked into the cliffs as it battled eternally with the land.

Then, as he flew over a copse of trees Vegeta's ki unexpectedly vanished. Goku braked in midair, unable to follow the scent. Then he quickly realized that Vegeta had become aware of him, and had suppressed his ki in order to hide. But why? Why hide? He had never had the need to hide from him before.

"Vegeta!" He called, knowing that he had to be close enough to hear him. Before the ki had faded, he knew that Vegeta was within at least a thirty yard radius. "What are you doing? Bulma's worried sick." He waited. His eyes kept darting to anything that moved. A bird hopped off a branch and flew away. Some kind of weasel plunged down a rabbit hole. A cricket jumped in the tall grass. The wind purred through the leaves of the tall pines that dominated this region. And still the sly prince did not respond. "I know you're here!" Goku shouted this time, losing his patience which was a rare thing for him _to_ lose. Vegeta's strange behaviour was creeping him out. "You chicken?" He cried, trying a different strategy he knew might work. "Hiding from me?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Came a familiar, yet surprisingly hoarse voice. Something small emerged from a low outcropping of pine leaves. Further in from the leaves was a cave and a fallen tree trunk. If Goku had had the time to look a little closer, he would have seen an old camp site where a fire once burned, and blood on the adjacent tree trunk closest to the cave's mouth. Vegeta, trying to appear tall despite his dwarfism, defiantly stared up at Kakarott. "What the hell are _you_ doing here of all places? Get lost, now!"

Trying his luck, Goku landed. Vegeta obviously did not welcome the close proximity, even if the low class saiyan was still a healthy fifteen yards away. He took a few steps back until shadow enveloped him from the canopy of leaves above. "Bulma asked me to come fetch you. You've been gone for two days. Don't you want to come home?"

"I'll go home by myself. I'm not a child and I don't need you to hold my hand!"

Goku sighed and scratched at his head. Gosh why did Vegeta have to be so difficult? What was the problem? "You undergoing intensive training or something? Out here?"

"Not... exactly." Vegeta replied, his voice sounding small.

Goku took a step forward. Vegeta went further into the shadows. "You're still trying to hide." He reasoned, shocked at Vegeta's misgivings, yet not quite knowing what to do about it. An outcrop of light splintered through the leaves Vegeta was sheltering within when he disturbed them, and at once Goku saw the reason for the prince's actions. He looked... not just pale, but white. And the weight had fallen off him since they had sparred on Sunday night. It was almost as if he was seeing the lean, evil Vegeta who had come to Earth to steal the dragon balls. Perhaps he was even thinner than that. But before Goku could study him further, Vegeta had ferreted himself into the dark mouth of his cave and didn't come forward.

Goku wet his lips and relaxed. Seeing as how the taller saiyan wasn't going to advance any further, Vegeta calmed down just a little. "Leave." He growled.

Goku looked about him, now seeing the small old, ashy remains of a campfire, a few bones of a previous meal, and the blood, not just on the tree, but on a rock too. While Vegeta scrutinised his every move from the sanctuary of the cave, Goku pretended to move his attention away from him: looking at the birds and the trees, while what he was really doing was probing Vegeta's ki. Since arriving, the prince had released his hold on his energy and Goku could read it again. But when he did he did not like what he sensed. After seeing through the shell of Vegeta's ki that radiated warmth, energy and spirit, he probed a little deeper and felt something disturbing. Inside the core of Vegeta's energy was something pungent and rotten. Goku hated the feel of it: so much did it exude with infection. Yet as much as he wanted to withdraw his touch, he wanted to understand it, _know_ it. For he had never come across anything like this before. Had Vegeta eaten something bad? Did he have some sort of human virus? What?

"You're... you're sick..." Goku openly confessed before he had time to shut his mouth with his own hands. Vegeta glared at him balefully as if the lower class saiyan had just filled his ears with ugly profanities.

"How did _you_ know?" This time _he_ took a step forward. Though his voice croaked, he delivered enough venom to cause Goku to check himself and then retreat a few paces. But he needn't have worried. Vegeta did not advance. He merely stood once more. "It matters not. Just go. It hurts just to look at you."

"Now I get it."

"Get what?" A vein was twitching in Vegeta's left temple.

"Why you ran and hid. You're sick and you didn't want anyone to see. You loathe weakness, even if it's your own. Your pride couldn't handle it. So you fled. From your family, and all those who care about you. You fool. You should have come to me."

Vegeta at first only glared as if he was too shocked for words. The truth hurt him, obviously. He had pent himself up here to protect his dignity and in the frailty of his weakness he hoped no one else would know what was bothering him. And then Goku had come along and opened him up. Just like that.

After the incomprehensible shock subsided, anger replaced the prince's dismay. "You think me sick? I'll show you sick!" He powered up at once, and his ki ignited like a tornado. Goku stepped back and alighted into the air as Vegeta took off, his aura streaking through the midday sunshine.

"So much for getting him back by twelve o'clock." He muttered to himself.

"Chew on this!" Vegeta shouted, and he blitzed downward like a rocket from hell aiming straight for his old nemesis. Goku dodged out the way but as Vegeta came plunging down like a hammer, he struck a tree and the trunk split into splinters of fire, one of them cutting through the muscle on his saiyan's thigh. More avalanches followed: pure white hot balls that began to melt the planet's crust. Goku flew upwards, hoping to outmatch Vegeta's speed, and he was, so far. But as he looked on, Vegeta paused in midair, and after an earth-shattering scream he transformed into a super saiyan. The ebony hair was replaced by pulsing gold, and Vegeta speared upward, straight for Goku. Now his speed had shot up tenfold, and Goku could no longer dodge him so easily.

"Stop this madness!" Goku screamed at him as they locked fists. This wasn't at all like their sparring matches. Deathly frustration seemed to glow from Vegeta's very form, and his punches and kicks were edged in desperation. "Vegeta, maintaining your super state will only make you worse! Already I can feel your ki getting sicker!"

"You liar!" He hit Goku deftly in the face, and the saiyan flew several miles before climbing back into the sky after having narrowly missed the trees below.

"You fool!" Goku could all but sense heaps of desperation mounting on Vegeta. "Anger won't solve anything! Save your energy and change back! You need every scrap of strength to fight this thing! What you have isn't ordinary! It isn't a human cold, what is it? You know, don't you? Why else would you hide? I see the truth in your eyes but you won't tell me!"

"Shut it, you imbecile and talk to this instead!" He delivered a massive blast of purple ki reminiscent to his Galick Gun and it towered downwards like a cerise fist of pure violence. Goku countered it more easily than he hoped; for Vegeta's internal power was flawed by the disease he carried. So with a kamehameha to ward off the purple lance of energy, they were at a false stalemate. Goku could break off the deadlock anytime he wanted. He just needed two seconds to think.

_Vegeta's angry._ He thought. _And that is his method when he's scared. He converts his fear to anger as a way of protecting himself. I have to stop him now. He's using up too much 'good' ki and leaving more room for the rot in him to grow. This is bad. He could wind up killing himself..._

This last thought enraged the saiyan. Thinking only of saving his friend, he turned super himself while pouring on the kamehameha. The burst of ki was too much for the prince's attack, and the lustrous bolt of blue peeled ever forwards. Vegeta ejected from his stationary position only to come face to face with a blow from Goku's fist. The hit connected and the prince was reduced to cradling his bleeding face with his hands. Goku went to land another hit, but the smaller saiyan teleported away and flushed out another ki blast from his already depleting reserve of energy. Goku teleported away from it before it could breach his defences and he reappeared directly above the weakening prince. Using both his legs he smashed his boots into Vegeta full pelt. The prince went sailing downwards at speed. Goku waited for him to reapply his ki and unlock himself from the spiral downwards, but he continued falling like a stone. Vegeta reverted back to his normal form just before he hit the water. It was then that Goku panicked. Hitting the water was enough to worry him any way, but just at that moment when Vegeta hit the surface, his ki fluctuated badly, and then paled to barely anything. He too regressed back into his natural form and then he dived through the air after Vegeta. A few seconds later he plunged through the surface of the water and kept going down. Vegeta was not far – though he was continuing to sink like a rock. Goku knew that if the old prince had been healthy, the attack would have knocked him back, but it would not have reduced him to a near unconscious state.

Finally he could see him a little further down. Goku reached out a hand to grab him. Vegeta was opening his eyes, and when he did he opened his mouth as if to speak. Goku mentally pleaded with him to hold his breath longer, however it was too late. Hundreds of tiny bubbles were expelled from Vegeta's mouth and his eyelids began to drop shut.

Goku stretched down further and grabbed the smaller saiyan's hand. Once the contact was made he hardened his grip, not caring if it was painful for his old nemesis, and then he reversed his charge and started zooming his way to the surface that now seemed like it was miles away. And Vegeta's ki was fading.

He burst through the surface while dragging Vegeta behind him. It was a graceless ceremony – but urgency had been required and Goku no longer cared for Vegeta's moods. Besides, the prince was too busy struggling for breath once he had placed him back on dry land. He considered thumping him on the back to help get the liquid out of his water-logged lungs but he closed off the temptation. Vegeta was too distressed to be helped right now. So he stood, waiting while the prince hacked and coughed it out on his own.

"You can swim, right, Vegeta?" Goku asked once he could take the coughing no longer.

"Yes." He answered at last, wiping the drips from his chin. "My father taught me."

"King Vegeta?"

"N-No..." Vegeta answered, realizing his mistake and shaking his head because of it. "Frieza did."

"Frieza taught you how to... how to swim? Wow, that's urm..."

Vegeta collapsed into another fit of coughs, and this time Goku _did_ approach him. Vegeta reacted at once as if he had been waiting specifically for Kakarott to make a mistake. As soon as the low class saiyan's hand was close enough, the prince lashed out. Goku withdrew his hand. "Stay away from m-me, Kakarott!" He warned, still panting. "Haven't you done enough?"

Goku frowned, his eyes icy and hard. "Me? You've done this to yourself, Vegeta. Anger never solves anything. You need to..."

"Oh shut it. The last thing I am ever going to do is take advice from a low class saiyan."

"Is that so?" Goku said at length before standing patiently as he often did when either his foes or his allies were having a bit of a conundrum. He rested his arms by his side and slowly Vegeta started to get his breath back but it had taken too long. And judging from the sweat building on his brow, Goku guessed that he was developing a high fever. Finally, when he could take Vegeta's pain no more, he said, "You need help. Don't ever think you're alone on this."

Vegeta took a deeper breath which produced another cough. "Oh, spare me your pity, blast you."

"You lose nothing by seeking help. Not your pride, not your ego. In fact, facing a difficulty and seeking a solution to overcome it with a friend makes you stronger." He watched Vegeta try to stand. It was an awful thing to see: made much worse that he couldn't do a thing to help least he further earn Vegeta's indignation. The saiyan prince struggled with something as simple as balance, and when his legs were erect his muscles were trembling all over. Even his hands flailed as if seeking support. He looked so vulnerable. Goku wanted to hold him, and was angry that he couldn't.

"Let me take you home, Vegeta. You aren't well."

The prince spat on the ground. "Stay away."

"Have it your way." Goku said with regret. "This way, then, since you're too weak to fly." Without waiting for a snappy comeback, Goku took the first step and started towards home. It would be a long journey without the use of flight, and he was hoping Vegeta would soon change his mind about being helped before long.

The silence between them went on for some time, and they walked through the empty valley without seeing much wildlife. Just birds or tiny lizards that basked on rocks in the late sunshine. Sometimes Goku would take furtive looks behind him to make sure Vegeta was following dutifully. It was sometimes hard to tell if he was there at all because his ki seemed nonexistent every so often. Everything seemed fine and as the afternoon lengthened into evening, Goku began to notice new signs of something disturbing. As Vegeta walked in Goku's shadow he seemed to lose his way or at least his immediate whereabouts. Even with Goku clearly in front his eyes would occasionally glare incomprehensibly_ through_ things than at them, and he kept rubbing his eyes as if they were hurting him.

Goku could take the suspense no longer. "Are you okay?" He stopped when he asked the question and Vegeta almost walked straight into him. It was almost as if he was sensing Goku's ki alone and nothing visually.

"Everything... keeps getting dark."

"Really? It all looks fine to me. In fact it's been a very sunny afternoon. Huh?" For Vegeta had stumbled away, and had entrusted a tree as his endowed support. There he fell against it until he was sitting down, one hand lazily rubbing at his droopy left eye. "Good idea. If you're feeling tired, we can rest here. There's no rush." Goku walked over and sat a few yards downwind of him. At least Vegeta had dried off during the walk and his breathing had steadied too even if he looked sicker and whiter than ever. But out here in the middle of nowhere there wasn't exactly much Goku could do.

"You hungry?" He asked the small prince. When Vegeta didn't answer, or refused to answer, Goku added light-heartedly, "Say, when you were travelling through space with Frieza, what did you guys eat? You had no fast food, no restaurants or shops. How did you do it?"

"Is there ever a time you don't think of food, Kakarott?"

He shrugged casually. "I guess not. I had to skip lunch to find you. So if you rest here, I can find us some food right now, because I am starving."

Vegeta crossed his arms and angrily stared down at his boots.

Giving the prince a final glance to make sure he wasn't going anywhere (and he felt a flash of affection for him at that moment), he walked away to sniff out some grub.

Vegeta remained where he was, and closed his eyes. For a time he dozed while keeping his senses fully aware of the environment around him. Frieza had tirelessly taught him how necessary it was to be on guard at all times, and this lesson had saved his life many a time. Eventually, after an hour or less he felt Goku's ki approach him. The low class saiyan had explored the environment well, and the valleys hadn't been as sparse as he initially thought. In his arms was a leaf platter of fruit consisting mainly of peaches and apples. Vegeta opened his eyes, glad that he could see. During their previous walk here he had gone momentarily blind and even his own senses had seemed transparent. Now he saw the daylight in all its glory, the leaves, the trunk he was sitting against, and the terse grass carpet beneath him.

Goku proffered him the fruit wordlessly, a light smile playing on his lips. Vegeta gave the food a malicious look, and then turned his head away. He was going to keep on sulking. "Get that out of my sight."

"Suit yourself." Goku devoured the whole lot with ease. The sounds of him smacking and dribbling was enough to turn even the most patient of men insane. So, as Vegeta continued to sulk, and rubbing his eyes a lot less, Goku slurped up the last of the peaches and rubbed his sticky hands against the material of his pant leg. Hopefully after that brief rest, the prince might be able to fly the rest of the way, or else they'd both be walking until dawn. Then a thought occurred to Goku. Whatever had forced Vegeta out here may well have held him back too. Perhaps he hadn't been able to fly back alone? Who knew? Goku would be guessing all night unless the stubborn prince just _told _him what the matter was.

"Let's get going." He said, brushing off a bit of apple from his chin, "It's going to get cold tonight and Bulma will be making circles in the sand and burning leaves until we get you home."

"Oh yes, her delirious fortune-telling." Vegeta did a better job of rising to his feet this time. He didn't tremble or lose his balance. Either that or he was trying his very utmost to look strong before the taller saiyan without faltering.

"Feel like flying?"

"Yes, of course."

"All righty then."

They took off together, and made good time up in the air. The journey was a silent one and when they were less than ten miles from home, Vegeta started to flag behind.

Eventually they landed neatly on the front lawn of Capsule Corp, and Vegeta got a warmer welcome than he had been expecting. Little Trunks came rushing out of the house, arms open wide. "Daddy!" He was chirping. Before Vegeta could defend himself, the toddler was hugging his leg in a death-grip. "You're home!"

Goku put his hands on his hips and giggled. "See how sorely missed you were, Vegeta?"

Vegeta gave him a warning look, but his temper was cooled when Bulma emerged from the shadows of the house and leaned against the doorway. The sunlight was fading, turning the sky a bruised violet, but even so she could not disguise the tears Goku saw on her wet cheeks. She came forwards on dainty legs. Vegeta stood, as if paralyzed with his son dangling from his leg. Then Bulma threw her arms around him, drawing him close.

Goku looked away. It wasn't his business to see: and he knew Vegeta liked privacy. Besides, his job was done, and the reward was precious.

He began to walk away, and looking subtly for a good place to take off without disturbing Bulma's rose bushes when he heard his name being called. He turned abruptly. It was Bulma. The grin on her face was evident enough to reveal how pleased she was: fresh tears of pride and relief flooded down her face. "Son Goku, wait!"

He did so, smiling gingerly. "Hiya Bulma. Sorry for the delay."

She rushed towards him, and took his hands in hers. Behind her, Vegeta and Trunks had both gone inside. Goku was glad. The house looked warm from out here, with all its lights on, and a candle shining from the windowsill in the kitchen.

"Thanks for bringing him back, Son. I know I shouldn't worry, he's a stubborn saiyan after all... and well, thank you." She suddenly became aware of her tears, and she hurriedly tried to dry them away with the back of her wrist.

"Don't thank me yet, Bulma. We have a problem on our hands."

"What?" She looked up at him, but her face wasn't exactly full of surprise. It was as if a part of her had known that something hadn't been right about Vegeta all along.

"There's something he isn't telling me. I'm sure he knows_ exactly_ what it is, but his pride keeps him from opening up. He repels help in any way possible."

"How can you be so sure he knows?"

"I can see it in his eyes. He never was very good at keeping secrets. Remember when he found that dragon ball in July?"

Bulma nodded, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she revisited a fond memory. "Yeah! He kept bursting into random laughter all day until he couldn't keep it in any longer. He told me everything. From the time of day he found it, to its exact location. He had been so pleased with himself. He could never keep a secret like that."

"Yeah, but this time he's holding back, and it's only going to damage him. He won't tell me. You've got to get it out of him."

Bulma lost her smile at once. "What? You know how moody he gets, Goku. I... I don't know..."

"But he might listen to you!" He held Bulma's shoulders. He was deadly serious. "You're not me. Sometimes he is _convinced _that I am always mocking him behind his back when all I really want to do is to help him. Don't tell me you haven't looked into his eyes lately, Bulma and noticed something strange. Looking into his eyes is like... looking into an autumn sky full of woe."

"All right, Goku. All right." She said, but she sounded doubtful. "I'll give it a try, but I can't promise anything. Tell me, what happens if my persuasion tactics don't work either to find out what's going on in that thick brain of his?"

Goku took his hands from her shoulders and he smirked just a little. "During the trip back I gave the problem much thought. Vegeta won't help us, at least not for the time being, and I don't like sitting around waiting to see if he'll get worse. So I have developed a little plan, but it's just between us. It's the next step."

"What step?"

Goku's coy smirk broadened. "I call the next step: drastic measures."

* * *

**Dib07:** So yeah, a little, tiny thing has been revealed about Vegeta, but what is it? And what is Goku on about?... What the hell is even going on? Stay tuned, and if you don't like and favourite I will KILL a character before I am done! XD Jokes. Maybe.

**TBC**


	4. Goku's Drastic Measures

**Dib07:** Thank you to all those who gave me support! I couldn't have done it without you guys and gals, and to reward you here is a very 'different' chapter. I had it in my head that this would also be another angst-y chapter but as I wrote it got more... well, humorous. And then it righted itself out. But yeah, plenty of dark humour here. So enjoy it while it lasts, because the chapters will evidently get a lot nastier from here. So thanks again, I have got some absolutely awesome comments from you all! Enjoy! :)

Jalfal: Hiya! Thanks again! Lol, I hope I can keep writing Vegeta in character. The more I write him, the more complex he seems to be. He has so many... layers. And he has a complicated personality once you get past his 'pride' thing. Thanks for the compliment, it means so much to me and I hope I continue to do a good job! I wonder what you will think of this chapter! XD Don't kill me!

**xxx**

**Chapter Four: 'Goku's Drastic Measures.'**

**xxx**

"Do you know how crazy this sounds? I mean really, this is suicide, and since I'm helping out, it's more like assisted suicide." Krillin was sitting at the kitchen table, his hands hugging his warm mug of hot chocolate in front of him. Despite the tasty drink and the warmth of the room, he looked rather pale. Meanwhile, Goku was pacing up and down with his hands behind his back. They were at his place and Chi Chi was sound asleep upstairs. Goten was tucked away too, and sleeping soundly. It was past twelve at night, some six hours after dropping Vegeta off home. Since then Goku had called a meeting, and they had tried to prep and plan.

"It'll be fine." The saiyan said, pausing every so often before plunging back into his march around the room.

"That's all very well Goku, but the closest I ever got to that saiyan was when I needed a pop soda from the fridge and I had to get by him. It terrified me. How he has a child is beyond me. I swear if there are any bruises on that boy..."

"You got it backwards Krillin. He loves his son..." He shook his head. "Look, we're not here to discuss Vegeta's personal life, we're here to discuss tactics. I can rely on you."

"Can't you hire Piccolo for the job?" He took a sip of his hot chocolate, but he was so worried he barely tasted it. "It wouldn't be so bad if this was about Gohan, or Tien, but... but Vegeta?"

"He isn't that strong now and whatever it is that's ailing him is keeping him that way. We have a good shot at this. If we hire anyone else, Vegeta will clock on. You know how smart and wily he is."

"I sure do." He took another sip of his warm drink. "I sure do."

"You have to make the first move."

Krillin looked at him with owlish eyes as if Goku had just suggested he take a dip in a boiling lake of lava. "M-Me...? M-Make the f-first move?"

"Yes. You are less of a threat to him and when you get behind him, he'll be concentrating on me. Besides, you know about my fear of those... things."

Krillin heaved out a defeated sigh. "What a joyous day I have to look forward to. I want to be buried okay, not cremated just so you know?"

Goku smiled, walked over and slapped his shoulder playfully. "You'll be fine! I'll grab his attention all right. But once you do your job, evacuate."

"Gladly. Jeez, why me?" There was a moment of silence, and then Krillin added, "Is this the only way?"

"Yup. Pretty much. I've thought of other angles, and other ways, but none are more effective than this. Trust me."

"I do. That's why I'm so scared." He had had enough of his drink. For some reason it just made him feel sick to his stomach, so he nudged it away with the tip of his finger. "No offense, Goku, I think the plan is wonderful and all," he inwardly smiled from the sarcasm, "but I don't think you've thought this through very well."

Goku glanced over at him, puzzled. "How do you mean?"

"Well, for starters you haven't even considered the senzu beans or asking Dende to heal him or what... give him special water to rid a person of evil? I don't know how it works, but aren't they better options than showering the walls with our blood?"

"I understand your concern, and I had considered those options. The senzu bean is a must, I agree, but a senzu bean recovers a person's natural strength. Vegeta's ki has gone bad somehow, I can't explain it unless you feel it, and I don't think the senzu beans will have any effect. The best thing they can do is stave off the illness for a short time, but they aren't a solution. That's why we need to carry out this plan and find out what exactly Vegeta is hiding from us, furthermore, I don't want Dende contracting whatever it is either. It could be contagious. Let's get our plan over with first, and then we'll consider Dende."

Krillin nodded. "All right. Boy o boy, I am so not gonna get any sleep tonight."

XXX

The next morning, after the kids had been dropped off at school, Goku came knocking on Bulma's front door. He didn't have to wait long. The lady of the house opened the door but when she greeted him she looked a little worn and tired, and her hair was a little dishevelled as if she had been tossing and turning all night.

"Hey Bulma, how are things?"

"Fine, thanks." She said. "What brings you here? Checking up on my cute other half?"

"Yeah. Is he here?"

"Yup." She turned back into the house and shouted, "Hey, Vegeta, Son Goku's here to see you! Come right this instant!"

Goku blanched. "Wow. You just say it."

She gave him a tired smile. "He needs structure and routine and a bit of woman power! Isn't that right, sweetie?" She said, swivelling round to grab the prince firmly by the hand when he tentatively emerged from the bowels of the house. He jerked to attention beside her, blinking heavily in the morning sunlight. He looked as white as last night, and great crescent blemishes had appeared under his eyes. Like her, it looked like he had gained little sleep.

"What is it, Kakarott? You want to spar with me, again? Don't you have shopping to do with your wife?"

"Good morning to you too, Vegeta." Goku said, performing a little bow which took the prince aback. "I came especially to show you something me and Krillin found in our backyard lake. It's a keeper!" And he winked.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, suspicious already, much to Goku's disappointment. "What _did_ you find?" He croaked.

"A sliver dragon ball!"

Vegeta's face fell. "A what?"

"A dragon ball, except it's well... silver! Come with me and I'll show you! Don't worry, I brought a hover bike so that you don't have to walk or fly. You look pretty tired."

"I'm fine." He said. "A sliver dragon ball you say? Funny, I thought they only came in gold or whatever the hell it is."

"That's what I thought too." He was slowly starting to sweat. He sucked at lying. He had caught Bulma's attention too it seemed, and she knew better. Either she would destroy the whole plan right here, right now by opening her mouth and spilling the beans, or she would know it to be a trick, and play along. Goku passed one hand behind his back, and crossed his fingers.

Bulma however, proved to be a godsend. "Oh my gosh, what a find! Wow!" She gave a little scream of excitement.

Vegeta frowned. "How big is it?"

"Quite big. Come on over and I'll show you." Goku stepped out into the sunshine and his boots crunched on a patch of fallen autumn leaves. Vegeta however, remained in the doorway and didn't budge. Goku hesitated, trying to look nonplussed, but inside he was starting to feel really desperate. Even scared. If Vegeta did not follow him, he'd have to come up with some other plan, and by the look of deterioration on Vegeta's part, he didn't have a whole lot of time. "What's wrong? It'll only take half an hour."

"I... I..." Sweat was pouring down Vegeta's temples. As Goku waited, he even saw the prince's chest heaving as he breathed as if he had just been in a serious fight. "I..." The prince's hands bunched into fists at his sides.

Goku waited, knowing that Vegeta was merely trying to verbally state a symptom. He was obviously feeling too sick to go anywhere, but admitting how he was feeling was a terrible difficulty.

"I... I can't." He said at last, changing his words at the last moment. "I have training to do."

"Have you ever had milkshake before?" Goku said purely on impulse. "It's delicious. Perfect for sore throats. I have lots of food at my place too. It'll be fun, Vegeta. A cool new dragon ball, and a soothing drink. Plus I have a whole bottle of whiskey that's not being used. Tien gave it to me for my last birthday but I don't drink alcohol and it'll only go down the drain."

"And you have a hover bike?"

"Yeah. I parked it round the corner."

Bulma placed a tender hand on Vegeta's arm after giving him a coat to wear. "Go and relax. Some fresh air will do you good, I promise, hun, and I'll have a hot bath at the ready for when you come back."

Strangely a hot flush raced across Vegeta's cheeks. Goku narrowed his eyes. What was bothering him? Why did he want to stay indoors so badly when only yesterday he wanted the whole world to ignore him? Goku bit his lip. He was only assuming here, but he guessed that Vegeta had never really been ill before and he didn't quite know what to do with himself. Perhaps he needed frequent trips to the loo, or he had been vomiting all night. And that would explain Bulma's lack of rest too. It was clear how much she loved him, and his change in health had brought her to the brink. She looked as frail as Vegeta did with worry.

Goku beckoned the small prince forwards with his hand. "If you can't manage I'll bring the bike round."

"No, no, I'm good." That did the trick. Making sure Goku wasn't watching, he turned and gave a peck on Bulma's cheek before walking down their neat little garden path. His gait was a bit wobbly and slow, but he managed. Bulma stood on the porch, looking incredibly anxious and lost as if someone had just snatched a puppy from her arms.

_I'm sorry, Bulma._ Goku thought._ I'll only be burrowing your prince for a short while, and I'll look after him._

Goku sat on the bike's main seat and tested the clutch. The engine purred angrily in response. Vegeta eyed the machine with a level of mistrust, but his shaky legs looked like they were ready to give way, so he clambered onboard behind Goku. "You're going to have to wrap your arms around me, or you're going to go flying off. This goes fast." He warned him. Vegeta grumbled, and surprisingly did as asked. His hold was light, as if the mere touch was insult enough. Goku turned up the gear and the engine rattled into hungry life. The spark plug beneath rose into a blue light and the bike lifted off the floor. Adjusting the bike's direction by turning the handlebars, Goku applied the acceleration and off it went.

Upon getting to Goku's place, Vegeta was first off the bike. He tightened the coat around himself and approached the main door. "Is your abusing wife at home?"

"Chi Chi? Nah, I told her to visit Goten's future college and spend the day there. It was weird. She got really excited about it."

Goku let the prince in first and at once got to work pouring him a milkshake. Vegeta meanwhile seemed agitated. He removed his coat and placed it on the hooks by the front door, then screeched to a halt when he passed the lounge. Krillin glumly waved at him from the sofa. "What's the midget doing here?" He growled.

"Hey, speak for yourself!" Krillin shouted, his wave turning into a raised fist.

"Krillin," Goku called, coming over with a milkshake in his hands, "stop antagonizing Vegeta."

"But... b-but he started it!"

Vegeta however looked like he had forgotten the while episode. "Kakarott, I'd like to use your bathroom facilities. Where is it?"

"Upstairs on your left."

Vegeta went upstairs at once.

Krillin left the sofa and stood beside Goku. His words turned into hushed whispers. "Why don't you just spike his drink? He won't notice."

"He might, and then the game would be up. Besides, spiking a drink doesn't get the drug working straight into the bloodstream. I know what I'm doing. Look, just go into the kitchen and get ready. When I give the signal, just do it."

Krillin made a face and went into the kitchen, postulating gestures with his hands as he did. "I bet he's just pregnant or something. He sure as hell acts like it."

"Krillin, will you keep it down? He might hear you!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Goku rolled his eyes and followed in after his long-time friend. They had everything set up, and it was all hidden for the time being. As for the 'sliver dragon ball,' it was actually a cheap imitation gypsy ball made out of glass and on one side of it was a single black star carefully drawn using a permanent marker. The star was slightly skewed, and had to be redone twice, but Vegeta hopefully wouldn't have time to notice its imperfections, and thus the fact that they had shamelessly lied to him.

Krillin looked more than uncomfortable. He looked downright terrified. "Ugh, the suspense is killing me. Goku, this isn't going to work."

Goku said nothing. He was too anxious to make anymore jokes. He wanted this plan to work. Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe Vegeta was just trying to beat a human-virus. Maybe he had some internal infection. Maybe this... maybe that... yet, whatever it was, Vegeta's health was going downhill too fast. He needed intervention.

And above all, he needed help.

While they were anxiously feeling time crawl by, Vegeta stepped awkwardly down the stairs and meandered more than walked into the kitchen. He felt both Krillin and Goku's eyes on him. The taller saiyan offered him a seat at the table, but Vegeta refused. He stood beside it instead, one hand on its surface for support.

"Well?" He said. "Where is it then?"

"Where's what?" Goku asked, his brow furrowed.

"The sliver dragon ball you dope!"

"Oh yes, that!" Goku felt a blush of embarrassment rise up in his cheeks. He turned to the kitchen counter and picked up the glass ball. "See? Isn't it wonderful?"

Vegeta scowled at it. "What in the name of...?"

Goku accidently lost his hold on it, and joggled it up and down as he tried to grasp it. It slipped easily between his hands and smashed to the floor. Krillin recognised the signal and jabbed the point of a hypodermic needle into the back of Vegeta's left arm. At once the small saiyan flew around and smacked Krillin in the teeth with his elbow. The move was by no means malicious – Vegeta moved purely on instinct: so highly strung were his nerves and reflexes that had been drilled into by his foster alien of a father. Krillin smacked bodily into the back wall, leaving a nice dent for Chi Chi to see later. While Vegeta glowered at the damage he had made: astonished at his own attack on Krillin, Goku fell on top of him. At once it clicked, and Vegeta knew their game. He back peddled and threw Goku into the other wall by the fridge. The milkshake tottered on the counter where it had been left, and spilled over to create a nice pink mess.

"You rotten tricksters!" Vegeta coughed and hacked, clearly not having the energy to fight but being obstinate and fighting anyway. He manoeuvred round (with Goku still hanging onto him) and smashed the taller saiyan into the counter holding the sink. That hurt. Goku was forced to let go.

Vegeta stumbled back, eyes wide. "What the hell are you _doing _to me? How... h-how dare you!" He took one wide-eyed glare at the needle jutting out of his arm. He grabbed it and pulled the long needle out of his flesh. The vial inside was empty. Whatever they had loaded into it had been injected into his bloodstream. "Ooh you have made me one ANGRY bastard!" With speed Goku didn't know he could maintain, Vegeta pegged the taller saiyan to the wall. "What did you inject me with?"

"Uh... urm..." Goku's pupils darted around quickly from right to left as he tried real quickly to come up with an answer. "Vitamins?"

Something small, sharp and painful pricked his right shoulder. He spun round and laid raging eyes on Krillin who stepped back, hands held up apologetically. Vegeta, trembling so badly out of anger and shock, reached up a hand and plucked the new thing sticking out of his shoulder. It was another empty needle. "Sonofabitch..." He groaned, his words starting to sound alien and slurred, even to his own ears.

"Easy, Vegeta." Goku left the gurgling sink that had ruptured beneath his weight and gently approached the hazy prince. "You've been given concentrated doses of sedative. You'll start to feel really sleepy."

"Why, why have y-you done this to me?" The hurt of Goku's betrayal was raw and shrill in his voice. It even caused Goku to hesitate: so unmistakable was the pain in his words.

"It's for your own good..."

"How would _you_ know?"

Krillin was standing well clear. "Goku, he's had two full doses and he isn't going down! All we've done is made him real mad! We only have one dose left!"

Vegeta stood still, frozen to the spot it seemed, and then he bunched his fists and cried out. A flash of burning ki rippled out of him and the table and chairs got knocked into the opposite wall. The overhead windows exploded, and all of Chi Chi's lined up porcelain figurines along the windowsill burst into white powder. As one, Goku and Krillin jumped him, knocking the small saiyan to the floor. Vegeta predictably spilled beneath their combined weight, and for a moment he had gathered enough reserves of energy to blow them away but then his dark orbs paled and his aura dropped entirely. Krillin raised the last hypodermic needle he had been saving, and though it sent cold shards of ice drilling into Goku's guts to go near the needle, the saiyan slapped his friend's hand away. The needle flew into the wall and broke apart.

_Disgusting, vile things._ He thought_. I never want to use them ever again._

"No, no more, Krillin." Goku shivered and took his eyes away from the needles spread about the room like shrapnel. "Too much and we could kill him. I didn't bring an antidote."

Vegeta struggled beneath them one more time, even now still vainly trying to summon the strength to escape. Vulnerability was just not an answer for him. But at last he could fight no longer. His eyes slowly closed and he fell eerily limp in Goku's arms.

Krillin was breathing hard. "We... we've done it!"

"Yeah. We did." Goku's answer was full of rue.

Krillin glanced at him in confusion. "You okay, Goku? Why do you look so sad?"

"It shouldn't be this way. It just... shouldn't. I've betrayed him, Krillin. And it hurts."

"But you did it to help him."

"I know, but I still feel bad."

Krillin was still getting his breath back. "Well, onto step two, and I thought we'd be dead by step one."

Goku stood up with Vegeta dangling from his hold. It just felt _wrong _for the prince to be this inert and unresponsive. It also brought back bad memories of his time on Namek when he had to blast a grave for Vegeta and carry him over to it. It made him feel really ill. And on top of it, the small prince had lost some serious weight: and not just a few pounds either.

Krillin led the way to the study and if Vegeta had accidently wandered into that room; he would have seen their plan before they had initiated it.

Dr. Brief was waiting by the computer console, a cigarette jutting out from between his lips. It hadn't been lit. "I was about to run out the front door, what with all the commotion I could hear." He explained warily.

Goku laid Vegeta out on the steel table they had prepped for him beforehand. "Let's just get this over with." Then he deftly turned to the desk and sterilized his hands with an antibiotic spray. Krillin did the same.

"If you're wrong about this, Goku," Dr. Brief continued, rising from his desk chair, "you're going to be in a world of hurt with both Bulma and her prince."

"My instincts are never wrong." He returned a tad angrily. He approached Vegeta's sleeping form and admired him for a moment. He had time. "I'm sorry I had to do this to you, Vegeta, just trust me, okay?" Vegeta lay motionless, head tilted to one side as he slept on. His breathing wasn't rough or wheezy, which was a good sign. His eyebrows had eased a little more outwards, and the crease lines on his face weren't as pronounced. He looked almost... different. Peaceful, even.

Goku shook his thoughts away. Judging by the prince's lean weight and small stature, he had about two hours to figure out what was wrong before he came around. But then again, Vegeta was a saiyan with a tougher immune system, and he could just wake up earlier...

Without waiting for Krillin's help, (the human had stood back, all watchful and nervous as if he half expected Vegeta to rouse in the blink of an eye and then promptly slaughter them all), Goku began to undress him. First he started with the buttons, (Bulma liked to buy him western-style shirts to wear), undoing them one by one while Dr. Brief overviewed the surgical tools.

"I'm not exactly a doctor, Goku, and I don't exactly want to do this to my son-in-law." He said tersely.

"It's just going to be a preliminary procedure." Was Goku's stubborn answer. "Me and Krillin took care of the hard part. The rest should be easy."

"Humph. We shall see."

He raised Vegeta up into a semi-sitting position while he removed his shirt. He wore nothing but a white vest underneath and Goku pulled this off too. Krillin watched with trepidation. When he saw the old scars littered all over Vegeta's body he openly gasped. There were even marks on his back that looked more like they were from whiplashes than ki blasts. And then he saw the longest scar of all running across his back: the place where Yajirobe had slashed him with his sword all those years ago when the saiyan had first come to Earth.

"Keep focused." Goku hissed at both the scientist and his old friend as they recoiled at the sight of the scars. "Dr. Brief, come forward. Is there anything abnormal that you can see?" The saiyan continued to hold Vegeta upright, one arm cradling the back of his shoulders. Dr. Brief stepped towards the table and adjusted the glasses on his nose. Using his fingers he began to probe the small prince's thinning body.

"His skin is aberrantly hot. Signs of an internal infection, maybe?" The scientist muttered, more to himself than to the others. "Though I see nothing broken. Ribs are good. Muscles are starting to atrophy though."

Goku was beginning to feel a little foolish, and stupid. What if they couldn't find anything? What if Vegeta had just caught a natural yet deadly fever? He knew little about his own race. How well did their immune system perform? What wasn't it good at? "Urm... perhaps it's ST." Goku blurted, unable to hide his concern.

"ST?" Krillin asked.

"Sexually transmitted."

"Oh no, I don't think so." Replied Dr. Brief. "He only ever lets my daughter touch him, and even that's a stretch. I've known about such feral behaviour, social disorder. He's suffered some kind of abuse in the past, and this stops him from trusting anyone but himself. Any orphan can tell you what that feels like. Anyway, we're getting off topic. Goku, lay him down, I need to see the rest of him."

Distressed, Goku looked away as the scientist began to feel along Vegeta's stomach and abdomen for any signs of irregularity.

_He's gonna hate me so, so very much when he wakes..._ The taller saiyan thought. _It's taken five years or more to get him to start trusting me, and now this... He'll never forgive me._

He heard Dr. Brief straighten and move round the table. Goku still didn't want to look. It was too painful to watch Vegeta being probed like this.

To remove himself from the situation he started to daydream about a game he and Vegeta played many months ago.

Then...

"Goku, come and have a look at this."

* * *

**Dib07:** Ouch, cliffhanger! Sorry, I would have continued it (the chapter seemed too short to me because I enjoyed writing it so much) but it seemed like a good place to end it there. So please PM me or review! Oh, and as a side note it came to my attention from a reader that there hasn't been that much Bulma at the moment: so yes, there is plenty to look forward to, so keep the reviews coming in and I'll post these chapters faster! Lol.


	5. A Solution?

**Dib07:** Hi all, I am utterly vamped by all the reviews and comments! I had no idea this story would be so well received, since I haven't written any DBZ fanfiction for twelve years. It is an honour. :)

**Jalfal:** Thanks! And yeah, I am evil! Hope you enjoy this update!

**XxxxX**

**Chapter Five: A Solution?**

**XXxxxXX**

"You suck at this game, Kakarott. I can't believe you even got me to sit down and play it, but I actually find it quite amusing because I can still beat you even if it's _just_ a game of wits and intelligence, which you never really had."

"Lay off, Vegeta. I'm not as dumb as you keep making me out to be."

"Well, however imbecile you may be, you're still in check." And Vegeta moved his knight over to challenge Goku's king piece. Overshadowing it was Vegeta's queen, which he had been saving for the very end. Goku was losing, there was no doubt. Vegeta had picked the game up quickly, even when he had never played it before.

The taller saiyan sat glaring at his last remaining pieces as Vegeta began tapping his boot impatiently. He could almost wait a full minute now, but every second after that seemed to pain him until Goku made a move.

"There." Goku moved his bishop to intercept and remove the black knight.

Vegeta slapped a hand to his face. "Dear Katan, you should have moved your... oh never mind. Check mate." He moved his castle straight down the board until it was level with Goku's king. "Check_mate_."

"How in the world? Oh..." If he moved his king backwards, the queen would have it. If he moved it diagonally, the castle would take it. And if he used his bishop instead, Vegeta's last bishop would intervene.

Dr. Brief's words cut into his daydream: "Goku, come and have a look at this."

Alarm bells ringing, Goku faced the situation at hand. Dr. Brief had picked up a lidded pen and was using it to point at something on Vegeta's left arm. Even Krillin, wrapped in morbid curiosity, had stepped forwards to peer at it. There was a strange mark on Vegeta's arm. In all honesty Goku would have looked at it and assumed it to be no more than your average tattoo. But as Dr. Brief clearly pointed out, the mark was bumpy, and seemed to spread outward within the saiyan's flesh like wet ink. Goku went to touch it and Dr. Brief slapped his hand away.

"What the hell is that?" Krillin asked.

"Looks like a tattoo. But the symbol is strange." Dr. Brief picked up a surgical torch and lit it over the mark. The whole thing consisted of a black circle or ring, and engraved (embossed rather) inside it was what appeared to be hieroglyphs of some kind. Either way it all looked alien. And the 'tattoo' itself was four inches in diameter.

"Okay, that's really, really odd." Goku said, "I know Vegeta likes to keep himself covered, but we've all seen his bare arms from time to time and I've never seen anything like that."

"I can vouch for him." His human friend added belligerently. "Or else we would have remembered. He probably got that stupid thing from a tattoo parlour."

"That's no tattoo." Dr. Brief peered more closely at it with his torch. "Goku, grab my surgical gloves. They're on the counter next to the gauze." Once he had his gloves on, he tentatively explored the markings: markings that were slightly raised like braille. "It feels cancerous and it burns to the touch. I assume the hieroglyphs form some kind of message, but it's from a language I have never seen."

"What's Vegeta doing with it?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now we have to assume it's this causing him the trouble. I'm going to take a sample of his blood, and perform a biopsy to determine if there is any presence of disease. If it is, we'll have to remove the whole thing. Hmm, odd..."

"What is it?" Goku demanded, not caring how anxious he sounded.

"There are fresh cuts all over it, as if Vegeta's been trying to remove it himself. But... it looks like it grew right back."

"The... the t-tattoo?" Both Krillin and Goku looked at each other in consternation, horror and disgust on their faces.

"Yes, I think so. I've never come across anything like this before. But first I need to run some tests."

Goku backpedalled until he hit the counter when Dr. Brief produced the all-too-familiar syringe. He eased the needle into Vegeta's right arm and drew blood until the vial was completely full. Then he took the vial out of the syringe and slotted it into the analysing machine on standby. It was an older model but Dr. Brief preferred it because of its reliability. Next the scientist produced a scalpel and a Petri dish and scrapped off a bit of tissue from the middle of the mark. As he worked, brackish, sable liquid began to weep from the symbol wherever his scalpel removed the tissue. When he was done he delivered this into the machine too.

"The results shouldn't take long," he said, trying to sound confident and failing, "Goku, why don't you gently pick him up and carry him to those weighing scales over there? If you know your own weight, just subtract it and his will be revealed."

Goku nodded and slipped his hands beneath Vegeta's inert form. Lifting him was not difficult; he just hated how the prince just sagged so limply. It was as if all his bones had gone soft and mallow inside of him.

Not wasting a moment, Goku proceeded to the weighing scales. He himself weighed a good sixty two kilograms or one hundred and thirty seven pounds, but he had no idea what Vegeta's normal weight was. He stood on it and watched the needle of the scales rise upwards.

"No offense, Dr. Brief," Krillin was saying, "but can't this all just be cured with a senzu bean? You're wasting your time, and now Vegeta is going to kill us all when he wakes. He knows where I live!"

"Calm down, Krillin." The older man's voice was composed. "There is a chance Vegeta won't remember any of this, sedatives hinder short-term memory, and even if he does, we'll just have to throw him a get-well party. No loss."

"Say that when I come home to see my house blown to smithereens."

Goku returned and motherly laid Vegeta back down on the table, being particularly mindful of his left arm that was soiled with the mark.

"Well?" Inquired Dr. Brief.

"He only weighs forty kilograms. That's like, eighty eight pounds. That's almost half my weight!"

Dr. Brief's confidence faltered. "Then we may have to start intravenous if he keeps losing weight. This mark... no matter how strange it is... cannot surely be the sole cause of my son-in-law's condition? I... I might need to take him to hospital... there they might further study..."

Goku shook his head. "You can't do that. Restriction never works with Vegeta, and he has a family. Try explaining your plan with Trunks and Bulma."

Dr. Brief rubbed at his temples. "I suppose you're right. We're probably overreacting anyhow. Maybe Vegeta's on a diet?"

"Or he's pregnant." Krillin tirelessly insisted.

"Well, Goku," the scientist turned to him, "we've finished prodding and probing Vegeta for now. Can you take him up to bed where he can rouse naturally? It'll take another hour or so until the results reveal themselves, so we may as well all take a break."

Krillin didn't look all too pleased, and voiced his protests. "I want to live underground, where he can't find me."

Goku picked Vegeta up off the table and left without saying a word. Dr. Brief turned to the machine as it analyzed and processed the samples. Now that his duty was done for now, he lit his cigarette.

xxx

"Why didn't you say anything about that odd mark on your arm? And where did you get such a thing?" Goku knew he wouldn't get an answer; however, sometimes he could not help but voice his concerns. Vegeta was like a lamb in his arms, and continued to sleep soundly: utterly ignorant to all. Goku took him up to his own bedroom and placed him on the bed before ransacking his dresser drawers for small fitting pyjamas. Chi Chi had thrown out most of Gohan's teenage clothes, and some she had kept when he had been little, but as Goku hunted through the selection, he acquired a pair right at the back. It was a soft blue pj set with stars on it. Gohan wore it when he was sixteen, and it would fit Vegeta more or less.

"Holy sardines, Goku!" The taller saiyan jumped at the voice behind him. He had not noticed the human's presence because he had been so busy on finding clothes. Krillin stood by the bedroom doorway looking fidgety and nervous. "You're not really going to keep him under your roof, are you? He'll have this house in ruins, as he will mine. Not to mention he might exterminate your wife."

"Relax. He's a puppy. Look at him!" Goku smiled and eased off the prince's pants.

"Well, it's your funeral. I'm going home."

"Thanks for the help, Krillin. Really. I couldn't have done it without you."

Krillin nodded, looking pleased despite himself, and left.

Left alone at last, Goku slipped the soft, blue pyjamas on his old nemesis and tucked him into bed. He dimmed the lights but left the pink glow lamp on that was perched on the desk. It threw a pale pink light across the room and turned the shadows into softer things. He placed a hand on Vegeta's forehead. He still felt incredibly hot. As for his old clothes, Goku had folded them and put them at the end of the bed.

He brought over a chair from the desk and sat down. He was about to relax himself, his eyes always on Vegeta when the phone started ringing downstairs. Vegeta was still in too deep to wake, but Goku still didn't want to chance it. He rushed downstairs and grabbed the phone off the hook. "Hello? Chi Chi's residence."

"Hi Goku, it's me, Bulma. How are things going with you and Vegeta?"

Oh yes, she didn't know. Goku took a big breath and explained everything, truthfully, leaving nothing out. Once he had come clean, there was a long pause on Bulma's end. Then, hesitantly, she asked, "A mark? But... but that's impossible... he doesn't have a mark."

"When was the last time you saw him naked? Or semi-naked shall we say?"

"I dunno." He could imagine her shrugging. "Perhaps last week? He usually wears clothes when he gets into bed. I thought it was just because he was cold... Look, can I come over and see him? And can I bring Trunks? He misses his dad."

"He's still unconscious, Bulma, and likely to hit the roof when he wakes. You sure you want to come over?"

"There's only one thing I'm afraid of, Goku, and it's not his anger. I'm coming over." And she hung up.

Goku stood staring at the phone. He tried to play out the scene in his head of what would happen when Vegeta woke. There was a possibility nothing adverse would happen, but... Goku really didn't want to spend the night cleaning blood out of the carpet.

"Oh boy. And I'll be his first target. Well, I may as well let him have what he wants." Goku went back upstairs and retook his place on the chair by the bed as Vegeta slept on. Once he was awake and everyone was still alive, he would teleport to Korin's Tower and grab some senzu beans. It wouldn't hurt to give one to Vegeta to eat.

Dr. Brief came in, out of the breath from racing up the stairs so fast.

"Goku, the results from the biopsy we made has come through! That _thing_ on his arm is toxic and has to come off!"

Goku lurched to his feet. "What?"

"You heard me. We have to remove it before he wakes. More sedation isn't good for him."

"But the mark?"

"Is toxic. Its elements are alien, but it is cancerous, and works like a poison. Wherever he's got it from makes no difference. It has to be removed."

Rolling up his pyjama sleeve, Dr. Brief gave the sleeping prince an injection of anodyne – just in case – and then he put lots of towels under the arm he was going to work on. It was pointless moving Vegeta now so the scientist was quite happy to work in the bedroom. Providing a sharp medical instrument, Dr. Brief began to peel away the top part of the skin. Again Goku had to look away. He had seen plenty of blood in his life time, but that didn't mean he had got used to it. So he decided to do something useful. "Dr. Brief, I'm going to visit Korin and see if he has any senzu beans. Will you be all right on your own? I'll be gone for about a minute using my instant transmission."

"I'll be fine. Your friend is too deep in sleep. He won't be coming around just yet."

That was the justification the saiyan needed. He leapt down the stairs, burst through the front door and jumped into the air like a dragon. Even the neighbouring trees bowed and danced under the gust of his fiery take-off.

xxx

Humming to herself and carrying a bag full of shopping, Chi Chi walked up the step leading to the front door. She had already noticed it had sprung wide open, emitting any kind of unwelcome hooligan inside. "That husband of mine, leaving the goddamn door open again! What am I going to do?" She hooked her foot around its edge and snapped it closed behind her as she walked in. As soon as she faced the kitchen however, her face went grey. The walls were all smashed in (leaving human-sized imprints), the windows were broken, and the sink was gurgling to itself as geysers of water sprayed over the tiled flooring. She did a little twirl on her feet before fainting, her shopping spilling everywhere.

xxx

On Goku's way back, his hand protectively clenched on a small bag containing two beans, he spotted Bulma's Capsule Corp hover vehicle, or what she liked to call: an air buggy heading straight over. He slowed down and decided to fly up ahead so that they could arrive together. His place was only five minutes away after all.

When she had settled and parked the air buggy, Goku was waiting for her by the front door. Bulma stepped out. Trunks got out behind her. He was wearing a purple jacket that looked well on him, and dark navy denim pants. Bulma took the little boy's hand and jogged over to Goku.

"Well, how is he?"

"Sleeping still, I managed to get him some senzu beans so he can be as good as new. By the way I did get some bad news."

Bulma freaked. "Excuse me? Bad news?"

"Calm down! It isn't that big a deal! Your dad is fixing him up as we speak."

"Tell me!" She demanded without breaking into a shout.

"That peculiar tattoo we found on his arm turned out to be toxic. We don't know why yet, but Dr. Brief has probably removed it by now." He smiled, but the smile was grim. "Your partner has a lot of explaining to do when he wakes."

"He sure does. Don't worry; I'll get it out of him. Come on, Trunks, let's go see your dad."

Of course, upon stepping into the house they saw Chi Chi's body lying on the tiles next to puddles and bits of plaster. Bulma cried out and pulled her son closely to her. In all honesty, the room really did look like it was a scene straight out of a horror movie. Goku approached his wife and saw that she was merely unconscious.

"I'm going to get an earful tonight." He chuckled dryly. "This way, you two. He's asleep upstairs."

"But you don't have any spare rooms."

"That's right. So I put him in my bed."

As Goku went up the stairs with Vegeta's family following close behind him, and he really hoped that whatever Dr. Brief had been doing was over now. When he peered round the bedroom door, his relief was like sunlight on a cold, cloudy day. Vegeta was still at rest and Dr. Brief was putting away his equipment.

"Ah, Bulma and my dear grandson!" He said, coming over to greet them. He first hugged Trunks, and then he embraced his daughter. "Good to see you both. I am happy to inform you that your beloved insane saiyan is going to be fine."

She rushed past him and stood by the bed, both hands clasping her partner's. Vegeta slept on, but he was showing signs of coming round. His hands and fingers were twitching in sleep, and his eyebrows jerked up every couple of minutes. His left arm was heavily encased in tight bandages with the pyjama sleeve still rolled up.

"He's going to be fine." Her father repeated, reading the ever-evident anguish on her face.

"Dad?" Trunks stood beside her and looked curiously at his inert father. "Is he going to wake soon?"

"Yes, little one." Bulma returned, trying to smile.

Goku watched them a minute longer and realized that his wife was still in a heap downstairs. Just as well they had home insurance, though he wasn't quite sure if the warranty would cover 'brawl damage.' Still, he turned to Dr. Brief who was putting away the last of his equipment. Some of it was still a bit bloody.

"Thanks Dr. Brief. Really."

"Don't thank me; I did it for my daughter. She loves him to death, you know. Losing him would destroy her. Anyway, I'm going to go back to my study to do some more research on our findings. I have all the samples I need now. The results of the blood work will come through in an hour and I'll drop by to pick it up. As for Mr. Prince over there, he needs rest. Whatever he had on his arm was killing him, and it's going to take him time to recover."

"You're not serious?"

"Oh, aye, but don't tell Bulma. She's got enough on her plate as it is. Vegeta won't be in pain, the anodyne I gave him will last another hour, and I know you hate needles, so you won't need to inject him anymore. Make sure he takes this later instead." And he handed Goku a little blue capsule with the words: FAST WORKING PAINKILLER on the front in pink letters.

Once Dr. Brief's equipment was packed, he left.

Meanwhile Vegeta was coming around. Goku folded his arms and waited by the headboard. Bulma had turned on the bedroom light, for it was now completely black outside. Not even the stars peeled through the obscuring clouds.

Vegeta's hand jerked in Bulma's grip as if he was flinching away from something in his dreams, and then, slowly, his tired eyes cracked open. Bulma bent forward and stroked his forehead. His fever had gone down, she noted. "Hiya hun," she said with a big smile on her face, "it's me. How are you feeling?"

He sat up at once, causing Goku to jerk back on reflex. Vegeta looked at them all in turn, languid confusion in his eyes. Lastly his gaze fell on Trunks. Then he gazed stupidly at his bandaged arm. "What... what h-happened?" His voice was so croaky and hoarse. Bulma embraced him.

"We had to intervene, honey. You weren't well."

"Wait," Goku stepped forward, "Vegeta I have a senzu bean. Take it and I'll explain everything."

"You'd b-better." The taller saiyan tipped a senzu bean into the palm of his hand and he chewed and swallowed it down. A second later he ripped off the bed sheets and began unwrapping his bandaging. When Goku came to help, he violently pushed him away. The bandaging spilled downwards like silk, revealing the skin beneath. Goku was expecting to see soft scarring there maybe, or old blood where Dr. Brief had failed to wash off, but what they saw stunned them into mutes.

The mark had come back, the exact way as before.

And shortly following that was Vegeta's rage.

* * *

**Dib07: **Hope you liked, and yeah, I kind of ended it on another cliffhanger. And FFN frustrates me soo much. I wrote a big paragraph down here and then when I decided to 'save' it, FFN decided to ask me for my log-in details. I typed them in, and then it deleted everything that I had done. Thanks FFN.

xx

_''There is no use. This is the end''_ - Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan

xx

Stay tuned, there is a heck of a lot to come, with a lot of Vegeta and Frieza moments (and yes, you too Zarbon - Nappa though, you have to wait EVEN longer) and of course Bulma and Vegeta. Goku has been burrowing the poor saiyan prince a heck of a lot. XD Poor thing! Anyway, please review and keep me updated on your thoughts! I appreciate it and I endeavour to respond asap!


	6. Vegeta's Pain

**Dib07: Hiya all again! Sorry about the length of this chapter – it got way too long so I edited some stuff out. Please read and review!**

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**Chapter Six: Vegeta's Pain**

**xxxx**

**xx**

"Oh dear Katan! It's all coming back to me!" Vegeta's rage boiled, and even his weary eyes seemed to swell with dark fire. "I don't believe it! You clown! You stupid, idiotic fucking clown! You drugged me!"

"It was necessary!" Goku said, holding up his hands in apology and surrender. Even Bulma and Trunks had to regress a little as Vegeta picked up the chair Goku had been sitting on earlier, only to throw it at the taller saiyan's head. Goku ducked, but chair legs and wooden splinters went everywhere.

"You sly fucking devils, it's a downright disgrace! You have no right! You dirty low class scum of the universe! You have no right! You and that bald midget both! I'll kill you!" Chi Chi's jewellery box went slamming through the air, shards of gems exploding across the floor a moment later. Goku picked up a beanbag (the closest thing he could grab) and used it as a shield. Then Vegeta tried to swing a fist at Goku, but he miscalculated the other saiyan's position entirely and ended up swinging into air.

Bulma intervened. She grabbed Vegeta's arm and pulled him to her. "Enough!" She shouted. "What Goku did wasn't exactly right, but you're the one keeping secrets! You're the one avoiding help as if it were some kind of disease! You're the idiot!" She slapped him so hard that he actually stumbled. Then he levelled her with a threatening gaze. He might have done anything right at that moment, but then his son tugged at his pyjama pants, tears in his eyes.

"Daddy? Why are you and mom fighting?"

The bottled rage seemed to find some tiny outlet in Vegeta's mind, and he gained control of himself before he had a chance to lose it. He bent down and ruffled his son's hair. "We aren't fighting. We're communicating. And because Kakarott had to put his stupid nose in things, I am behind on training you. Now wipe away those ugly tears. Saiyans don't cry."

Trunks nodded and started to rub them away.

Vegeta rose to full height and gave Kakarott a dark look. He was back to yelling. "Stay away from me, you dirty traitor! You live today, but only because my idiot family would get in my way. I'll get you back for this. Mark my words, Kakarott. I'll fucking kill you."

"But Vegeta!" Goku sprang forwards, his hand reaching out. Bulma looked at him and shook her head. It's too soon: her expression told Goku. He struggled to back down however. "Vegeta! We had to! Your mark, it's come back! We removed it for you! But it's come back! We need to do more tests! You can't leave! Vegeta, this is serious dammit! You could... you could...!"

Die.

"We're done here." Vegeta walked down the stairs and stepped over Chi Chi on the way out. While he and Trunks got into the air buggy, Bulma stayed behind.

"Look, Bulma," he began, almost stammering in his haste, "I'm no doctor, I'm no scientist or anything, but that mark isn't right. It's cancerous and we removed it! Me and your dad! And it came straight back! And a senzu bean didn't remove it either!"

"The senzu bean could have brought it back!" She returned, exasperated. "Look, let Vegeta cool down, god! You've hurt him inside, and I know you wanted to do good and look after him, but he's still angry. You did something behind his back, on his body. Okay, admittedly I would do the same. He needs help, I'm just... I'm just confused! Tell you what, you and my dad go over what you've found and find out everything there is to know. I'll keep an eye on Vegeta's health. We'll meet back at my place in a few days and talk things over. Deal?"

"All right. Deal."

"Hurry it up, woman!" Vegeta shouted from the air buggy, "And stop talking to that fucking imbecile before I do something fucking spontaneous!"

"Gotta go." Bulma waved and started towards the buggy. Goku's head was aching. What the hell had happened today? He turned to go back inside and sort out his wife. Then he'd ring Dr. Brief.

XXX

"Ugh! These clothes are revolting!" Vegeta inspected the blue, starry pyjamas he was wearing.

Bulma giggled. "Only because they look cute on you! Now stop whining and buckle up. You too Trunks."

"Yes mother." They said in unison.

But Vegeta could not stop whining. Even when they had landed back at Capsule Corp in the dark, the prince was drivelling on about hacking Goku into tiny pieces using a meat cleaver. And to add to their wearisome day, it started to rain.

"I'm going to have a shower." Vegeta said, "And scrub myself raw. It makes me want to gag every time I think of Kakarott touching me!"

"We are not discussing this now. Trunks needs to get ready for bed and I am tired." She opened the door and they hurried inside to get out of the rain. In no time at all their home was all lit up, Vegeta was in the shower and Trunks was watching evening cartoons in the lounge while brushing his teeth.

Once he had purged his skin clean, Vegeta threw on a clean new black top with sleeves and a dark soft pair of pants. Then he went into the kitchen and inspected the fridge for food. After a moment's hesitation he grabbed a carton of juice and the leftovers of yesterday's chicken. Once he had eaten he put the plates away and sat, exhausted on a stool by the table.

Bulma came into see how he was getting on. "You know, Goku told me that my dad gave you a painkiller. Apparently that thing on your arm that you tell no one about it hurting you."

"Leave it." He warned her. "And don't mention Kakarott ever again! I hate that saiyan! When I'm strong enough I'll get my revenge in full. I'll orchestrate a Needle Attack and that'll make him wet his pants and explode simultaneously."

"Can't you tell that he's worried about you?"

"Yes and it makes me sick and mad."

"But didn't that medicine make you feel better?"

He snarled out the words. "I... I guess."

"Yes it did, silly. You weren't in pain, and you actually had the strength to eat. You haven't eaten properly in weeks."

He stood up from the stool and brushed past her. "I'm going to bed."

"Oh no you don't. We aren't finished here." She walked past him and slammed the door shut, blocking his exit.

"Get out of the way, woman! I have had it up to here with idiots!"

"Why do you act like the kid on the playground who's been picked on?" She answered him. "You play the tough guy to protect your fragile ego but nothing today has damaged your self-worth. We acted because we care. Goku's done a lot for you, not for himself. I defended you back there because I know you were hurting, but I commend Goku for at least trying! Look at me! Stop hiding!"

Vegeta looked away. Bulma stepped forward and embraced him. He still flinched and went stiff all over, even after six years of being together (if you take out the seven or eight months when he left Earth to train in space and henceforth become a super saiyan). "Won't you tell me how you got it?" She asked more gently, referring to the mark on his upper arm.

Vegeta swallowed hard. "It's... it's not important."

"You are such a lug head! Of course it's important! Why do you deny it? Are you so afraid of it? I love you, Vegeta. Oh please just tell me..."

He was still stiff in her hold, almost as if he feared as much as loathed touch. She remembered their first kiss in crystal clear clarity. She had confronted Vegeta – alone – in the corridor of her home not long after he had hurt himself again during his intensive training. But he wasn't training to stop the androids that had been prophesied. He was training to exceed Goku's abilities. It had become a total obsession. Her father always said that Vegeta was a few cards short of a full deck, and it seemed true the more she thought about it.

"You idiot! Do you want to give yourself heart failure? Do you want to rupture a kidney? You may think you're a warrior, but you are not invincible!"

Vegeta just stood there, starring at her in the corridor. He had been holding a towel that he had used to dry the sweat from his brow and neck. And he looked like a frightened lamb too paralyzed to move. She hadn't realized why he had reacted so at the time, but now as she reflected upon it, she knew it was because he didn't know what to do with females. Especially females with brazen confidence.

"You thick ape!" She continued, standing in front of him. Now that they were face to face it was clear she was still a good inch taller than him. "You need help! Serious help! Stop obsessing!" Her anger began to leave her when Vegeta still did not move or shout a rebuke. Usually he always countered whatever she had to say as if even a verbal competition had to be won. Then Bulma genuinely got scared. She was all alone with him. What if he struck out at her and broke her jaw? Or just killed her quietly, like strangulation? Vegeta came forwards and grabbed her. She opened her mouth to scream when warm, firm lips closed over hers. The scream died in her throat and she melted under his touch. Then something snapped in Vegeta's head and he let her go. He dropped his eyes from her and hurried down the corridor, a blush rising in his cheeks. Bulma stood for a moment, filled with shock and surprise. Had Vegeta just... kissed her? She shook her head and broke herself out of the reverie.

"Vegeta, wait!" But he did not wait. She dashed after him.

She grabbed his wrist and she hesitated, expecting him to backlash her. He seemed only to shrink at her touch.

"Get off me at once!" He demanded.

On perfect impulse (if she had stopped to think about it she may lost all courage and may never have done it at all) she reached towards his lips and kissed back. Her hands sought his, and the touch made him step painfully into the wall. It didn't crack, but his eyes were wide and diluted. Their lips parted. It was clear Vegeta was torn. He was curious as where this would lead, but on the outset he looked terrified. Bulma knew the signs at once. Vegeta, despite acting so proud, stubborn and Prince-Know-It-All, was a virgin. Goku on the other hand wouldn't have seen this as abnormal, merely sad. After having spent the majority of twenty four years with an alien father figure, and with no compatible females to copulate with, Vegeta had never experienced sex, let alone love. Who knows if Frieza had even allowed him, or if Vegeta was even aware of a 'sex drive.' He had fought for so long that violence and anger had fulfilled him, and nothing else was needed. Now Bulma had come out of the blue and awakened all these strange, frightening senses.

"Why do you cringe whenever I touch you?" She asked him, gently. He looked away. He was good at that. Her hand cupped his chin and she turned his face back towards her. He began to snarl: his old self shining through to protect his ego, but another kiss chased the darkness away. In the next instant they were in her room, on the bed, Vegeta hesitating on top of her. In the tumble of their passion they had rid themselves of clothes, and now the prince was once again utterly befuddled. Bulma was distressed to see Vegeta's confusion. It was all over his face. No wonder he has such a superiority-complex. He had never had anyone to care about before – had never touched anyone emotionally before. Perhaps Frieza had caged him mentally on purpose for whatever reason but it was strange for Bulma. She was so used to men being so confident and forward-going. Now she was dealing with a trembling saiyan warrior who knew next to nothing about his own reproductive organs. Yet he had to have felt something – some hunger inside of him - or else he wouldn't have clambered into bed with her.

His eyes kept lingering on her boobs as well. They were also a thing of mystery for him.

"Just relax." She told him, her hand reaching up to stroke his trembling face. "You'll know what to do. I'm all yours." He had hesitated a fraction longer, pupils darting to the door as if to see if anyone was watching. Bulma smiled. "It's okay. Here, I'll help you."

Then the magic had happened, and a secret doorway opened between them, even if it was brief. But it was enough to make her hunger for more, and to open that door a little further each time.

And like all good things, the connection between them ended abruptly. Vegeta hurried out of bed and pulled on his clothes as if there was a fire in the room. Bulma sat up and covered her bare breasts with the bed sheet. "Where are you going? Why don't you stay?"

Vegeta didn't even look at her. He just left.

In a fit of rage, Bulma pulled on her clothes too and rushed out after him, her mind boiling. She had felt at the time like she could have thrown a piano on top of him. When she caught up with him, he was walking down the garden path towards the training capsule. "Well fuck you too!" She shouted after him.

Yes. Romantic indeed. But it was the best sex she had ever had, and the undeniable passion continued only if Vegeta was in the mood. The copulation in itself was powerful, fervent, but it also showed Vegeta's vulnerable side too, which was a real bonus. She only ever saw that side to him when they were making love.

Her memories ended abruptly when Vegeta roughly moved away from her.

"I am not afraid." He pushed her hand back down. "And I am not in the mood to discuss it! If you plot and scheme behind my back with that lowlife infidel, then you will have something to be sorry about!"

She let him go. It was best. His pride had been hurt today, and he needed some time to think things out. But it hurt her terribly to just let him go. And so he walked away, seething. Hurting. Plotting.

And hating...

XXX

"We'll rule it all someday, Vegeta." Frieza's touch was strangely cool and unwelcoming, but the prince tolerated it all the same. If he was in Frieza's good side, he always felt safer. "The distant galaxies... the universe perhaps! Since when have we ever come across a planet that has had the strength to rebel against my Empire?"

"None, Master." Vegeta said.

Frieza smiled pleasantly. "And that umra rara will give you all the strength you so desire, so long as you are with me. If ever you went your own way however... well, that's not going to happen, is it, my little prince?"

Vegeta, barely twenty at that time, shook his head. He had grown. Not much in stature, but in strength and wisdom. Still, it did little to impress Frieza's guards and elite warriors. Why should it? Vegeta's power level was barely ten thousand, whereas Zarbon was almost twenty two thousand. Still, on his eighteenth birthday, his Master had blessed him with the umra rara, which, translated from Frieza's ancient language roughly read: 'Mine Eternal.' It was also a gift of power so long as loyalty was attained. This sickened Vegeta of course. There was no way he wanted to spend his whole miserable life trapped. Trapped with warriors who hated him because he was Frieza's 'pet monkey,' and trapped in a life of servitude. But, being as lowly as he was, he wasn't going to go anywhere fast. And he had no inspiration to do so until he was twenty nine...

And then there was Frieza, more deadly than an orca in blood soaked waters. He was the clawing nightmare in the abyss of dreams. He was the hand that wielded the gun, and the sword. Vegeta could easily imagine growing old and cowed under that alien's rule.

On the way back, he encountered Zarbon who was walking down the atrium of the ship towards the command centre. They were going to a planet called Yaad for Vegeta's solitary fight against the native species there. It had been Frieza's sudden idea to send her little prince there and fight them without aid: and see how well he had developed in battle. Vegeta was a little excited, but he was more concerned of his own reputation. Yaad boasted strong aliens. If he was to fail, Frieza could very well kill him, or he'd live to be humiliated by everyone else.

"Lord Zarbon." Vegeta said, bowing as was appropriate when addressing the higher class.

"Vegeta." The light-green alien said, coming to a standstill.

"I was curious... Has Master Frieza also blessed you with the umra rara ?"

Zarbon's grin was tinged with contempt. "Why would I need such a thing?" And he brushed past him.

Vegeta stood still for some time, quiet and in many ways - miserable.

Would there ever be a way out for him? Did freedom even... exist?

"Why am I here?" He muttered to himself, his voice croaky with despair.

XXX

"All right. On three."

"No dad, please, I'm not ready!" Trunks was quailing in his father's hold. They were fifty feet up from the ground and sailing over farmland. It was Saturday morning, and the first thing Vegeta wanted to do after cooking him breakfast was teaching him how to fly.

"Saiyans were born ready, you fool! Now fly!" And just like that the prince dropped him. Trunks plummeted straight down like a stone, and instead of concentrating his energies like his father had shown him, Trunks screamed and screamed. He turned over and over in the blazing winds, the sky and land trading places. The trees and fields reared up to grab him. Trunks covered his eyes. Then he fell into lean arms and he was ascending upwards once again. He slowly uncovered his eyes to see clouds instead of land. Vegeta looked gruffly down at him. "Really." He grunted. "Is it so hard? I was flying when I was your age."

"I can't do it! You're scaring me!"

"Cry, cry. That's all you're good for. Well, you're my son and you are going to learn to fly, today!"

Trunks continued to snivel and bawl in his arms. Vegeta growled but didn't drop him as before. It was clear he was taking some of his anger out on his son for Kakarott's unspeakable behaviour, and he also knew that remaining this upset would do neither of them good.

He landed back in the gardens of Capsule Corp and put Trunks on the ground. Vegeta landed in front of him and crossed his arms over his chest. He was wearing his full saiyan battle armour. He usually wore it when he was training, or training someone else. The tight clasp of it around his chest just felt right. As for his son, he was just wearing a shirt, jacket and trousers. "Then it's back to basics. Do what I've told you before. Summon your ki and feel the energies naturally fill you. Don't force it. It'll come easier with practise."

Trunks spaced his feet slightly apart as Vegeta had shown him before, and he bunched his little fists and started to try and 'lift' the dormant energies inside of him. Vegeta scowled, looking bored, but really his mind was still grieving hatefully over what Kakarott and Krillin had done to him. As for Bulma, she had given him plenty of room this morning, which suited him fine. She had however made him promise not to blast off and leave her without permission. It was a fickle pledge, and Vegeta abided by it, for now. But he was not a fan of making promises and he had no intention of keeping it either.

"You idiot, power up! It can't be this hard!"

At the sound of his father's angry retort, Trunks summoned the ki necessary and a gentle aura of blue overlapped his body.

"Good." Vegeta observed. "Now imagine that ki to be a feather or a balloon, whatever helps. Feel yourself going up."

Trunks' feet left the ground. He opened his little hands in shock and elation, and he began to giggle. As a result of his lapse in concentration, he fell back down again.

"Stop playing around!" His father raised a fist at him, far from impressed. "This is not a game! Sooner or later you'll need to rely on your power or you'll end up dying!"

Trunks looked up at him with large, watery eyes from the grass he sat upon. He stood up once more and lifted off much more quickly than last time. Vegeta lifted his head up as he watched his son swerve and wobble through the air as he lifted himself higher and higher. Dizzy happiness slowly turned to fear in Trunks' little blue eyes.

"You've only risen ten feet. Keep going you slacker!"

Trunks obeyed, and he reached a good height of sixteen feet before he started to sway to the left. His brief flight was terribly shaky and uncoordinated but he was getting there. Vegeta remained unimpressed. His own trial hadn't been as harsh: nothing could match his personal discipline, but he hadn't enjoyed it either. Frieza and his minions had been watching his early efforts, and they laughed every time he didn't get it quite right. It wasn't cruel laughter mind; they saw his valiant attempts at flying as cute. But he still hated them for laughing.

Trunks gained speed and he began to zoom out of control towards a copse of trees. Vegeta cried out a warning but it was too late. The small child ploughed straight into them. Forgetting about his ego and pride for a single moment, Vegeta rushed over to the rescue. "Trunks! Trunks, where the hell are you?" He followed the screams and cries. If Bulma found out...

Then there he was, all bruised and battered and snared in a clasp of branches. It was an oak tree that had caught him, but his face looked ever so sore.

Vegeta rose into the air and plucked his son from the grasping twigs and branches. Trunks instantly threw his arms around his father's neck and burst into fresh tears. The prince rolled his eyes and landed back on safe ground.

"Cry baby." He admonished, however his voice was gentle with no harsh tones to accompany it. He quickly checked his son over his injury. He was more worried about the repercussions from Bulma than real damage to his son, but when he found that the little squirt just had bruises, and a few bleeding scraps on his knee and face he dropped his concern completely. "I'm disappointed in you, boy."

Trunks used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe at the snot dripping from his nose. "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Well sorry doesn't cut it, kid. Why don't you..." The trees turned dark, and the strength ran out of his legs. He fell down to his knees and the same pain he had had before while sparring with Kakarott clamoured in his head like loose nails. He clutched at his temples, snarling his discomfort. Trunks, forgetting about his own sores and bruises, stepped forward, perplexed and worried.

"D-Dad?"

It'll ease in a moment! I'll surpass the pain... I always do! Vegeta told himself in earnest, but instead of the agony building up and then breaking away like it had done before, the yelling hurt seemed to fill his chest and stomach too. Nausea swirled inside, and his eyes flashed with stars. When at last the pain took a bated breath and he was able to breathe himself, he opened his eyes and expected to at least see Trunks just where he had left him. But instead he found himself on the ground with Bulma at his side. The sun had risen a little more in the sky, and Trunks was nowhere to be seen. Had he... had he been unconscious?

"Vegeta! Oh my gosh, don't move. You had a black out."

"Where's... where's my son?" His throat felt like he was trying to swallow down thistles... and there was an aftertaste of copper too. Blood.

"He's back in the house! I told him to go and play video games, what else could I do? He wouldn't leave your side! Oh my god he's going to get nightmares..."

"Please tell me you didn't call an ambilance?"

"You mean ambulance? No, I called Goku."

"You bitch!" He paused after a thought struck him and he looked up at her. "Why will my s-son get nightmares?"

"You were..." She dropped her eyes from him. "You were convulsing. Badly."

He sat up before she could stop him, and at once a bolt of pain rang through his middle and head. It felt like he was tearing apart. She tried to lower his hands when they flew up to clench at his forehead. When he started screaming her fear only escalated.

"What is it, hun? You tell me right now! Please! Oh please tell me what's wrong!" She tried to get him lying down again, and perhaps it would have been for the best but he fought against her. Something acidic and foul rose up in his throat and he choked it up. Blood and bile erupted from his throat and splattered his saiyan suit and pants.

"Vegeta, please stop struggling against me!" She quickly groped in her pocket for something. Through the white-wash of pain, Vegeta saw a green bean between her thumb and index finger. The next thing he knew she had popped it into his gory mouth. "Eat it! It's the extra senzu bean Goku gave me, but I don't have anymore."

He hurriedly chewed twice and then swallowed it. When he had, warm, fulfilling energy began to fill a body that had almost gone hypothermic. At first the heat felt too much... way too much, but then it evened out and he felt well again. The awful sickness plaguing him was pushed back, yet despite the waves of goodness plunging through his heart; it still could not obliterate or even shift the ball of discomfort deep within his guts.

This time when he sat up, Bulma let him.

"Walk with me back home and get into bed, hun." She advised, placing a hand on his arm. "You need rest."

"I don't take orders!"

"You listen to me right now!" She cried, totally drowning out his own voice. "You tell me what the hell that thing is on your arm! Goku told me all about it, and my father is still going through the tests, but you know something and you aren't telling! Don't you trust me?"

"Even if I told you, it would make no difference."

"Oh, so there is something you aren't telling."

Vegeta growled and stood up. It was good to have his energy back. Good to no longer be in pain. His bowels felt hot and loose though, and his stomach was still cramping up a little. "Believe whatever you want to, woman but your voice is giving me a headache!"

She grabbed the collar of his saiyan armour and brought his face close to hers. "My father said that that mark on your arm is alien. Did... did Frieza give you that mark?"

She had overstepped her boundaries. He summoned a gushing burst of ki and it knocked her back. Enveloped by pulsing power, Vegeta gave her a sly wave and then blasted off into the air before giving her the finger. He didn't look back. Bulma half ran after him, knowing it was useless. "You jerk!" She screamed, "You promised! You lousy good-for-nothing JERK!"

XXX

Vegeta just had to get away. It was disgusting how weak he was becoming, and what was worse was that every time he had a relapse, someone was always there to witness it! It was like a bad dream. How humiliating could it get? Flying away was the only freedom, and he took it with both hands. Goku would come. That stupid saiyan was revoltingly sympathetic, and he had instant transmission. But even with such a fascinating use of energy, he would have a hard time tracking Vegeta through West Forest. "Dear Katan, why doesn't Kakarott just give up already? He's like a goddamn parasite that you can't kill! God, I HATE him!"

He was making good mileage when a new spear of pain struck him far sooner than he could ever have known. Even after consuming a senzu bean less than five minutes before, his condition was catching up to him. His ki just seemed to cut out like a battery short-fusing, and he crashed into a hillside. Luckily he hadn't been going very fast at the time, but as he lay in the rubble, dazed, he realized that using his ki seemed to speed up his sickness. And with violent results.

Too tired, his lungs burning and his chest tight, Vegeta lay where he had landed until his heavy panting began to edge off. Slowly he drew himself into a sitting position and no new pain hampered him. He took deep, steady breaths until he felt more himself. However, that didn't always spell good news. After gaining a steadier head, he stood up and blasted the nearest tree with a blue azure ball of ki. Fire licked up the fallen giant. Hungered by the destruction he had made, Vegeta threw his fists into a boulder of rock and it broke easily underneath the power of his saiyan strength. "This is not supposed to happen!" He raged. "I am a saiyan! I refuse to be broken by this curse! I refuse!" He quickly turned, opened out his hand and caused another tree to be engulfed in flames. "Warriors bow down to nothing! You hear me, Frieza! NOTHING! Blast you! Stop HAUNTING ME! Arrgh!"

"Cool your temper!" Sprang a bold, strong voice.

Vegeta jerked at the sense of ki he had not felt until now. He looked upward and saw Goku standing high up on a tree branch some thirty feet off the ground. He was eating an apple. Juice ran down his lip. "I'm arguing with myself, do you mind, you bitch?" He threw a ki blast at him because he just could not resist the chance, even when it would give him no satisfaction or result. Goku teleported before the ball of energy hit, and he reappeared again in front of Vegeta. He tore another bite into his apple. "Don't mess with me! I'm warning you, Kakarott!" Vegeta raised his fist and launched it at the opposing warrior. Again Goku teleported and emerged on a rocky plateau some seven yards away. "Don't you dare come anywhere near me! You fucking prankster! No one mocks me and gets away with it!"

Goku had to teleport away so fast to escape Vegeta's following arsenal of blast volleys that he dropped his half eaten apple. And the prince's temper continued to rise. "Fight me you sonofabitch! Fight me!"

Goku re-emerged directly in front of the saiyan without warning. Vegeta stumbled backwards but then regained his composure just as fast. Before he had a chance however to throw out another punch, Goku grabbed his arm in mid-swing. Vegeta, snarling and roaring, tried to bring it down. When that didn't work, he tried smacking Goku with his other hand. Again Goku grabbed that too, and held him effortlessly. "All right, Vegeta. I'll fight you. But if I win by whatever means, you tell me what's bothering you."

"And if I win, you leave me alone!" He went to head butt him, but being that much shorter and with his arms being pinned, he failed that tactic completely. So he summoned all of his ki, and the fire and force of it made Goku let go of him. Renewed with this energy, Vegeta rushed forwards, cleaving the air with a purple wave of energy. Goku dodged it with sublime ease and reappeared again just as fast. The purple swell of energy demolished a few trees, leaving fire in their wake.

"Stop scorning me and fight properly!" He yelled, slapping the air with punches. But Goku dodged every blow. Vegeta never even felt the taller saiyan's closing ki. He was always too far off to make a hit.

"You're only hurting yourself, Vegeta. With every move your ki only weakens. A prince should know better. Why do you continue this path of self-destruction?"

"I will overcome this momentary weakness, that is why, you gloating ninny!" He was building himself up with another ki blast when something hot and terrible bit into his insides. The gathering fire of energy gathered around his hand withdrew back into his essence and he sank bodily to the ground.

Goku stood two yards from him. "For all your wisdom Vegeta, you sure are clueless. You've damaged yourself badly, I can sense it, why can't you? Anyway, I've won this fight today, so I think I have fairly won my reward."

"You didn't even fight me... you fucking pansy of a s-saiyan..." Vegeta moaned back, but by now he was curling up, hands on his stomach as the pain grew to intense levels.

Though Goku hated proving the prince wrong, he knew that while the other was in pain, now was his best chance to get him to listen. "You're very sick, Vegeta. And it all stems from that mark on your arm. Someone gave it to you, there's no way you could have done that to yourself. The senzu beans don't work, and that's a worry, but there are many more ways to fix you. But first you must give up that nefarious, ugly anger of yours and accept my help!" This last part he yelled, anger colouring his own speech. Vegeta looked up, momentarily forgetting his pain. He hardly ever saw Son Goku incensed. At last Vegeta bowed his head as a stronger flood of pain swelled inside of him. Unable to sit up any longer, he fell onto his side. Goku stepped forward.

"Stop! Don't come any closer!" He panted, struggling with the pain.

"Why do you continue to resist me, even now?" Goku asked gently. "You need help! Now! You could die."

"That could never h-happen! I am a saiyan warrior! I can overcome t-this!"

Goku shook his head and approached him anyway. Vegeta spat out a curse, then went back to curling up and moaning from the pain. He knew he was invading Vegeta's personal space, but at this point he no longer cared. He knelt behind him and placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, not far in fact from the ugly mark itself. "Breathe, nice and slow. Try not to tense either."

"You some kind of r-retarded doctor or something...? Well, fuck you and the ship you came in on!"

"Ah, Vegeta, such elegant words. I had no idea you were a fan of using human profanities too."

"Go... g-go to hell!"

"Just calm down. If you don't, I'll use the signal."

At that, Vegeta quietened. The signal had been an age-old idea of Goku's and one he made sure everyone knew. When there was an emergency a warrior pointed his palm to the sky and shot out a ki blast that radiated outward once it had reached a certain point in the sky, and it turned bright, frothy red. It acted like a flare and it lasted in the sky for a good four hours: perfect for summoning help. And Vegeta knew that Goku wasn't bluffing. If he activated a ki blast like that, everyone could come running, and that included Piccolo, Yamcha, Krillin, even Tien.

"That's better," Goku said with a smile. Vegeta only growled like a trapped wolf. "Now I am going to carry you back home where you'll feel more at ease. I don't want you struggling or trying to fight me. If you do it'll only worsen your condition, okay?"

"F-Fuck you..." A spot of blood hit Goku's face as the saiyan spluttered the words.

Goku took that as consent and gently began to scoop the small prince into his arms. Vegeta predictably tensed, and when he did he went into a fit. It was so sudden that all poor Goku could do was stare helplessly as his old rival fell into a seizure. Something broke a little inside Goku, and tears started to build in his eyes.

"What do I do, Vegeta? Oh, what do I do?"

Vegeta's fiery grey eyes were blank as the seizure had him, and blood and drool started to seep down his chin. Goku tried to feel for his ki and soothe it somehow with his own, and though he had never tried anything like this before, saiyans always seemed to have untapped potential in all places. So maybe this might work too. The prince's ki was very faint, and full of that pungent 'wrongness' that Goku had felt inside of him long before he discovered the mark that seemed to be the sole cause of all this. But Vegeta seemed to be too far from him, and his mind could not be consoled: it was wrapped too tightly in pain.

Finally the convulsion ended and the small saiyan was left panting heavily for air. His eyes closed and his arms once again began to hug his hurting middle. How Vegeta was still conscious after that attack Goku had no idea.

"Vegeta, please don't struggle. I'm going to lift you now."

"Leave me h-here! It... it hurts, damn you!"

Goku's heart broke. The pain had to be bad if the prince was openly admitting it to him... and his voice... it sounded so weak and hoarse. This wasn't like him at all. "I know it hurts, but I can't leave you here on the forest floor! You need to be at home where you can get proper care! Believe me, Vegeta. Just relax into me."

Making sure his hands were securely beneath the saiyan, one behind his shoulder blades, the other beneath his knees, Goku stood up with him. Vegeta grimaced with sudden, stabbing pain, his bloodied cry making Goku wince in sympathy for him.

"Put me d-down... Kakarott! It... it h-hurts!"

"Breathe, you fool. Breathe. Don't speak." For Vegeta was starting to tremble badly in his arms again, and Goku feared that another convulsion was on the way.

**TBC…**


	7. Frieza's Touch

**Dib07:** Omg I am so dumb. Like, really, really DERPY dumb. I need a medal to show how dumb I am. I have been watching the FUN DBZ lately, and have been going through the sagas quite happily: BUT some things seemed… off. Like what the characters said, and the music. And I couldn't quite put my finger on it. So I watched it regardless, thinking that I must be just crazy. I mean, this is DBZ right? With Chris Sabbath and such? Right? Nothing wrong there. But then something clicked while I was watching the abridged series of DBZ on youtube, and I looked up a little thing called Ocean dub (pure impulse/accident). And then it all came back to me. That's why the FUN version didn't seem 100% correct in my memory, it wasn't even the one I watched at the time! It was the damn Ocean dub! I got so excited that I ordered the Rock the Dragon edition! Now I just have to wait for it to arrive. I am smitten with joy! OMG! Hoorah! So soon I will have the best of both versions! And I am not going crazy!

**xxx**

**Chapter Seven: Frieza's Touch**

**xxx**

Clutching Vegeta to him, Goku took a few steps forward because the canopy of trees above him was in the way. He could have used instant transmission to teleport himself and the prince to Capsule Corp, and while it was a nice idea, he had never used it on anyone else who was deathly ill, and there was no guarantee it would even work, and he wasn't about to practise it on a weak, sick saiyan.

"Stay with me, Vegeta. I'll get you home." Goku didn't blast off like he normally did. He sailed gently upwards instead, keeping his eyes on Vegeta at all times. The prince was struggling just to breathe, and his tight saiyan armour clasped around his chest wasn't helping matters. He should have taken that off before he had even started getting him home, but it was a little too late now.

Slowly increasing his speed so that it wouldn't be a complete shock to Vegeta's system, Goku emerged from the brow of trees and headed through the vast blue of the sky towards the city. Fields and trees rolled beneath him, and soon they were replaced with houses and manicured gardens. Goku looked down at the saiyan in his arms to see him gasping in and out, and a slight tremor ran up and down his body like an electric current gone awry.

Just a little more. Hang on, Vegeta.

The small saiyan fell into another convulsion. Goku almost dropped him – for the attack had come on as suddenly as before with no prior warning.

Capsule Corp loomed below him like a shining beacon of hope. Gently he descended; making sure the trip downwards was as soft as possible. When he hit the grass, Bulma and Krillin came racing over. They had obviously been watching the skies for them.

Paying them little heed, he laid Vegeta down on the grass, waiting for his jerking body to ease up. Foam was appearing in his mouth, and excess water was dribbling from his eyes. Luckily Bulma had not yet reached them to see this.

After another five seconds the chilling episode of spasms ended. Using a trickle of ki, Goku carefully cut an incision line down the centre of his armour. It was tricky work: Vegeta was breathing too hard and he didn't want to accidently cut into his sternum. But the job was neatly done, and once the armour had been cut, Goku peeled away both sides and tossed them to one side. At once the prince's desperate respiration became a little easier now that the armour was no longer hindering his ribcage.

"Holy crud!" Krillin braked to a stop beside him. Bulma looked as pale as a ghost. Once she had run over to them she looked too frightened to see what had become of her partner. Then she collapsed beside Vegeta and took his cold hand in hers. "Goku," the bald human cried, "what the hell happened? Vegeta looks..."

"...Bad, I know. I only stopped to get rid of his armour, it was distressing him. Please, stand aside, both of you. I need to get him inside, he's in a lot of agony."

They did so without hesitation, and Goku gently scooped the prince up again and walked towards Capsule Corp. By now, utterly exhausted from the pain, Vegeta had fallen unconscious. His arms, once tightened against his stomach, now flopped uselessly as they dangled from his side.

The doors opened, and Goku walked inside. At once he headed straight upstairs and into their bedroom. Walking across the sheepskin rug he motherly placed Vegeta on the bed and began cutting away his tight-fitting saiyan battle cloth.

As Bulma and Krillin got to work gathering medical supplies and blankets (well, Krillin did most of the work, Bulma was in total shock), Goku was about to leave and grab a cloth when he heard Vegeta gasp his name. He turned swiftly around, about to answer him when he realized that the prince was still in a stupor. His eyes were firmly closed and he was stiffening up all over again.

"You're having a bad dream." Goku approached the bed and laid a hand on Vegeta's forehead. He was burning up again, just as before.

"K-Kakarott... don't... d-don't leave me... ... Can't get it out..." He repeated this sometimes. Endlessly. In segments or all at once.

"Easy, buddy. I'll never leave you." He smiled sadly. "Never."

XXX

Night had claimed the sky, and the windows of Capsule Corp glowed brilliantly. The sink was slowly filling with mugs, and the kettle was still warm from its last use. Krillin was sitting by the desk, kneading his brow while Goku was staring vacantly out the window. A shooting star flittered like a ghost through the gaps in the clouds, but he had already made his wish a thousand times. Bulma lay on top of the blankets beside her ailing saiyan prince. He had seemed to have fallen into a more restive sleep since she had given him an injection of powerful painkillers – not only that – but they had fitted him with a breathing apparatus, just to be on the safe side. It brought up painful memories of when he had almost tried to kill himself by training in four hundred times gravity and she had had to use it then, but at least it helped with his breathing. And besides watching Vegeta sleep they had been trying to find a solution.

"It's weird. Why didn't the senzu beans work?" Krillin groaned.

"Yeah. It just gave him false energy, like a kid high on sugar." Exclaimed Bulma. She sat up in thought. "Senzu beans are supposed to heal wounds, but I guess Vegeta's is more complicated than that." For while the prince had lain sleeping, they had all morbidly seen the mark. It hadn't really changed much since Dr. Brief and Goku's attempts at finding out more about it, but it looked horrible nonetheless. The mark was encircled by a black tattoo, and within it was cryptic alien letters. How such a simple looking thing could cause so much agony for Vegeta was a mystery.

"He knew about it." Goku said quietly, as if to himself. Not once did he look away from the window. "All this time, he knew. And that means he knows its origins. And he wouldn't tell me."

"If he knows where it came from, perhaps he knows how to remove it?" Krillin asked.

"I doubt it. If that were the case, I don't think we'd be in the situation we are in now."

"Oh. Right." Krillin sunk back into uneasy silence.

"Well, I have a few theories on how to get rid of it once and for all." Bulma said, trying to sound hopeful and rubbing away the last of her tears drying on her cheek. "Goku, I've heard that you used an isolation chamber on Namek before you fought Frieza. Gohan told me."

"Hey, yeah, that's right!" Krillin agreed. "Now how did Vegeta put it...? He said something about the tank containing healing fluid that was made from cultivating synthetic saiyan DNA, like blood or something, and it gets absorbed through the skin of a saiyan and well... heals them over time."

Goku turned away from the window. "That's all very well, but we don't have the technology. That kind of contraption was alien and one of Frieza's machines. And even if we could somehow replicate it, I don't think it would work. The senzu bean just about does the exact same thing, and that didn't solve Vegeta's problem."

They fell into thoughtful silence.

Bulma made another suggestion: "Well, how about Dende using his healing powers on him?"

"It can't hurt to try, but again I doubt it'll remove the mark. Dende would just be doing what a senzu would do. We're going around in circles!" Goku added angrily.

Bulma nuzzled back up to Vegeta's side: her head resting on his chest. He seemed to radiate warmth once they had got his temperature back up, but it had taken three hot water bottles and a lot of massages to get the heat back into his atrophied muscles. At least the convulsions had seemed to have left him. Goku never wanted to see them ever again.

Goku looked through the window again, his eyes peering up at the stars. "The dragon balls." He whispered.

Krillin straightened in his chair. "Say what?"

"We'll wish on the dragon balls."

"Best idea I've heard all day." Bulma said without rising. "Piccolo has one, right? And Vegeta found one too, it's downstairs in the safe. That makes two."

"And don't forget about Tien. He and Chiaotzu were playing on the beach when they stumbled across one. That brings the count to three."

"Still four to find." Bulma replied with a touch of rue. "I suppose with the dragon radar it shouldn't take that long."

Goku walked away from the window and sat on the chair beside Vegeta. At least some colour had returned to his cheeks. He didn't look right though, not with that breathing mask over his nose and mouth. "Bulma, trust me, give me the radar and I won't stop until I find them all."

Krillin was still a little doubtful. "What about Piccolo though? Will he give his up?"

Goku nodded. "Yes he will. He has to." He yawned and stretched. "I guess I should start looking for them now, but I want to hang around a little longer until dawn to see if Vegeta's okay. Those convulsions of his really scared me..."

"Me too." Bulma closed her eyes, breathing in Vegeta's scent. She never wanted him to leave Capsule Corp ever again.

"Have you already tried surgery to remove it?" Krillin asked, looking over at Goku for answers.

"Yes." The saiyan replied. "Dr. Brief recommended it, but low and behold the damn thing just grew straight back."

"Crud."

Goku, Bulma and Krillin snoozed uneasily the rest of the night. Every time Goku would open his eyes and look over at the clock on the nightstand only half an hour had passed. Sometimes he would get up and stretch. Sitting on the chair gave his neck and back a knot or two, and then he would settle back down, close his eyes and try to sleep. He had one particularly bad dream among many when he did manage to get a wink of sleep. He was back on Namek, and the skies were rough with lightning and thunder. Vegeta was in the thrashing river, trying to escape to shore. Goku flew down and grabbed his hand to lift him out, but as he did, a white hand rose out of the waters to grab at the prince's ankle. A violet and white head emerged, and a slanted pair of grinning eyes locked onto Goku's. It was Frieza. And his grip was like iron. Vegeta hung between them like a child being fought over by two meddlesome parents. Goku burned through his ki trying to pull Vegeta upwards, but Frieza merely pulled him down easily, and Vegeta slowly began to sink towards the water. 'Kakarott! Don't let him! Don't let him!' Were Vegeta's last words before he sunk below the surface. Goku's hold on his hand wouldn't let go, and slowly he too started to be pulled towards the river. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, and what energy he summoned, it was never enough. A white tail flipped out of the water like a whip and it snarled around his throat. His grip slipped... and he lost his hold on Vegeta.

"NO!" Goku snapped awake, stunned to find himself safely back in Bulma's bedroom. It was a blessed relief, but then his horror unfolded again when he didn't know if Vegeta had made it through the night or not. He had hidden the seriousness of his condition from Bulma to protect her. As daylight streamed through the window, and with Bulma still lying fast asleep on Vegeta's small chest, Goku silently leaned over and cupped his hand against the saiyan's cheek. He could see that he was still breathing – mist fogged up the inside of the plastic mask every time the prince exhaled. Goku sighed heavily in relief. "Thank goodness. You really had me worried there."

Much to Goku's astonishment and surprise, Vegeta cringed as he too roused from a deep sleep, and opened his grey eyes. At first he seemed to see nothing but the ceiling, and then his gaze dropped down to see Goku beaming down at him. "K-Kakarott...?"

His voice was still so weak. Goku smiled and stroked his face. "Hey, short stuff. I'm still here." Vegeta then did something very out of character. He lay still, and didn't move away from Goku's loving touch. In fact he didn't even produce a nettling remark, and though this was cute in a way, Goku knew that this change in Vegeta's behaviour only resulted from bad news. "You feeling okay, Vegeta? Any pain?"

"Kakarott... hear me w-well... The mark I carry can't be r-removed... Whatever you will try... it won't work."

Though it took great effort for Vegeta to speak, Goku had to know one thing. "Who gave it to you?"

"F-Frieza..." He trembled at the name.

Goku knew it all along. Hearing it confirmed still gave him the shivers though. "Why? Weren't you under his control already?"

Vegeta nodded slowly. "Yes, but... he was jealous. Wanted no o-one else to h-have me. The mark was a binding pact. One I agreed t-to have. If Frieza died... or if I took orders from another... the mark would know. It's been imbued by ancient alien technology and dark science. It gave me power... once. It fused with my ki and it made me strong. I thought Frieza was bluffing… you h-have my word on that, ad if he was t-telling the truth, I thought that once I ascended m-myself… and b-became a super saiyan… I would break the mark, Kakarott. And… a-and I didn't." He choked down blood.

"How do we remove it?"

"You... y-you can't." His eyes grew heavy, and he began to blink torpidly. "I thought I could… once. But nothing I ever did… c-changed it…"

"There has to be a way." Goku refused to give in. He couldn't give up hope. "One more thing, Vegeta. What do the letters say on your arm? Do they mean anything?"

"Y-Yes. It says: 'You are Mine. Eternal.'" He started to cough. Bulma, at the sound of his rasping breaths, woke up.

"You're awake!" She cried happily, and crushed him with a hug. He weakly smiled. His face brightened for that tiny moment.

Goku gave Vegeta one last pat on the shoulder before walking towards the window. "Bulma, give him another painkiller, and get some liquid food down him."

"Why, where are you going?" She asked.

He showed her the dragon radar he had got earlier while he hadn't been able to sleep during the long, restless night. "I'm going to hunt us some dragon balls. Vegeta's pain will all go away, and we can live again like before. I promise."

* * *

**Dib07: **Right, here is a serious note, and I will hopefully remember to include it at the top of chapter 8 when it is uploaded as well. From Chapter 10 onwards this novel is going to get a lot darker and a lot bloodier. Not enough to make it an M, but I would advise readers younger than Teens to avoid reading. Then again, if you watched THAT particular episode in the Frieza saga, then actually, you should be all right. Because watching that scarred by childhood. And here I am writing this crap. So yeah. One last warning, and then THAT IS IT. No more warnings! Otherwise I will sound like I am nagging! So *cough cough* I apologize first and foremost to Vegeta. Yeah. Sorry dude. It hurts me too.

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_''__ I don't think so. ''_ - Frieza - Dragon Ball Z episode: Don't Die, Gohan! Son Goku finally arrives.

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Stay tuned, and any reviews/comments are immensely appreciated - it keeps me writing! Oh, and as a quick side note, thanks to all the feedback I am getting from my Community 'The Chronicles of Vegeta!'

**TBC**


	8. The Wish (Goku and Bulma's Hope)

**Dib07:** Hello, here is another update for you all to get your teeth into, oh and here is also my last posted warning for the upcoming chapters and their... gore. So read, enjoy, and hit that little red cross at the top right if it gets too much. ;) Anyway, enough of that, this chapter is yours to enjoy!

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**Chapter Eight: The Wish (Goku and Bulma's Hope)**

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Finding the dragon balls was a breeze compared to dealing with a convulsing friend. Using the dragon radar to its fullest, Goku searched the lands high and low. The first one he found was tucked into a coral in Conifer Sea, and as soon as he found it he popped it into the sack he carried with him. The second was down a crack deep within the Earth's crust. It must have rolled during an earthquake and had fallen down there. Goku managed to retrieve it by digging a hole using his own ki and tunnelling through until it was in his hand. As for the last two, they were in the windswept ice valleys of Turrn. By the time he had got these last ones it was already four in the afternoon. This worried him. How was Vegeta holding up?

After being to Yamcha's place (which proved to be no trouble at all, for the human warrior had given up the dragon ball willingly), all Goku had to do was visit Piccolo and pick up the sixth dragon ball. Carrying the sack with him, he landed outside the Namekian's stone home. He put down the sack and scanned for Piccolo's ki when he saw that he was not home. The dragon ball had been left on the little table inside but he knew better than to take it without asking. Leaving his sack, he scanned the distant hills and then the sky.

"Huh. Wonder where he went."

"Not very far, I can tell you that."

Goku swung round. Piccolo was walking down a rocky slope wearing his usual white training attire. "Hi Piccolo! What's up?"

The Namekian eyed the sack near Goku's leg. "I could ask you the same. What's in the bag, Goku?"

"Dragon balls."

Piccolo stopped in his tracks. "Come again? Dragon balls?"

"Yup! All five of them! Now, I know this is kinda awkward, but do you mind if I burrow yours? Once I use it, I'll give it right back once I re-find it after a year!"

"You want my dragon ball? Well that's not very fair." He said, smirking. "I might have want of it."

Goku grew serious. "Look, Piccolo, this is no light matter. I need it, for a friend."

Piccolo raised an eye ridge. "A friend you say? What, are they in trouble, or do you owe them a favour?"

"They are in trouble. Big trouble. I need Shenlong to grant me my wish. Come on Piccolo, I don't often ask you for favours and I don't often want to make a wish unless it's to bring someone back to life. When have I ever been selfish?"

"Never." Piccolo lifted into the air only so that he could close the distance with Goku. He landed three feet from him. Again he eyed the sack, and then his eyes flittered back to Goku. "I'll lend you my dragon ball," he began quietly, "if you tell me who your friend is."

Goku hesitated. "Oh come on, Piccolo! Confidential information here!"

The green alien laughed, however it was a short, sardonic sound that did not harbour any warmth. "Then no deal, Goku. It's as simple as that."

The saiyan shrugged. There was no point in keeping Vegeta's condition a secret, he supposed. He just wanted to hide the prince the embarrassment of others knowing, and he had honestly tried. But he needed that dragon ball. "It's Vegeta."

Piccolo's eyes widened. "V-Vegeta? What? How come?"

Goku gave him a teasing smile. "Dragon ball, please."

Piccolo rolled his eyes. A deal was a deal. He went into his house, picked up the ball and returned to Goku. The saiyan held his hand out, ready to receive it. "Here you are." The Namekian passed it over. Pleased, Goku slotted it into the sack with his five others. "Don't tell me he's going through his immortality phase again and you gave in to his sweet, sweet demands?"

Goku shook his head. "I shouldn't really be telling you this, so please handle this information with discretion. Vegeta has fallen very ill as of late."

"Goku, how much brain power have you lost over the decades? If the saiyan is sick, give him a damn senzu bean!"

"I already did and it didn't work. If it was that simple we wouldn't have had any need for the dragon balls!"

The Namekian's surety subsided. "Yes, I guess so. Anyway, this has me mystified. We both know how tough the saiyan race is. What on this Earth is he sick with? It has to be pretty bad if even the senzu beans can't touch it."

"He has this weird mark on his arm. It acts like a poison, and we believe that it is filling his body with toxins... Dr. Brief is still running through the last of his research, but it's serious. He could die."

Piccolo's eyes widened. "Wait... but that's..." A chilling flashback screamed through his head. Vegeta had briefly seen him for the very same reasons, and had spoken of a mark on his arm. He had gone to show the Namekian, only his mood had changed like the wind, and he had streaked away like a shooting star. It had all happened so quickly that Piccolo had brushed it from his mind. "That's the reason he saw me."

Goku cocked his head at him. "Huh?"

"Yes, it must have been a few days ago now. He came to see me about a mark, only he never showed me it. He just flew off after getting his tail in a twist."

"That's the one. He told me he got it from Frieza – it worked as a symbol of loyalty."

"And senzu beans can't get rid of it?"

"Nope. And he's had at least two beans by now just to keep his heart going. It's bad, Piccolo."

"Listen to me, Goku. I have some advice. I haven't seen this mark or know yet what it's about, but hear me out. If all else fails, you need to cut off his arm!"

Goku grimaced. "Say what?"

"You heard me! In order to save his life it might be the only way forward! Removing his arm will in effect remove the influence of this... this mark! You _could_ give him some of your ki, have you tried that?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, there's that. Giving him some of your ki might help him fight off these toxins you mentioned, but if I were you, I'd go for the amputation method. Or..." He looked hard at Goku so much so that it gave the saiyan the chills. "You could risk your own life and use those Potara earrings to fuse with Vegeta. But doing so will likely endanger you too. And the fusion process may not even work, even if Vegeta can somehow manage the energy to perform the ceremonial dance. So, don't do it."

Goku hadn't thought of _any_ of those options. He felt pretty dim. "Hmm, not bad options, Piccolo. Thanks."

"No problem. Now make your wish for Vegeta. If it works, you won't have to risk any of those methods."

"Yeah! Well, I'll be seeing ya!" Goku blasted off, sack full of dragon balls in tow. Piccolo watched after him until Goku's vapour trail had vanished. An ill wind blew, ruffling the Namekian's cape. He stood for a long while after, contemplating.

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Back in West City, Dr. Brief was at his computer analyzing the last of his research from Vegeta's strange mark. The results came back and they filled the screen. Dr. Brief sat staring at the information, dismay filling his countenance. He printed off a sheet load of the results, bundled them together and left his computer to inform Goku and Bulma of the news. And as luck would have it, Goku came in through the front door at that moment. Dr. Brief hurried over to him at once. "Goku! Wait!" In his excitement he didn't even notice the sack heavy with dragon balls in the saiyan's possession. "Look at what I've discovered from my research! It's very important that you..."

But Goku brushed him aside, a big goofy grin on his face. "It's okay; I have the dragon balls now! Bulma will be pleased, and everything can be fine again!"

Dr. Brief, holding the documents to him, looked most perplexed. "But... but..."

"It's okay, we still have time!" Goku made his way to the basement and over to the old dishwasher where Bulma had told him it would be. Sure enough a winking golden brown dragon ball sat within an old dishcloth in the dishwasher. It wasn't exactly the most original of hiding places, but it had been well hidden all the same. "Finally..." Goku cupped it in his hand and then it joined the rest in the sack. In a single day he had gathered all seven. Now that was a record. He was exhausted, but that wasn't by exertion alone. He had been so worried about Vegeta lately that he hadn't been getting much sleep, and the anguish to gain all seven dragon balls had quickly drained him.

Hauling the sack with him, Goku met with Bulma and Krillin outside the bedroom.

"I have them guys! I have all seven!" Goku boasted, his daft smile as wide as ever.

"Well, imagine that!" Krillin looked just as happy.

"Thank goodness." Bulma said tiredly. "A solution at last. We should have done this from the start."

Goku nodded. "Yeah." He looked over at the door leading to the bedroom that was slightly ajar. He knew there was no time to wait, but he couldn't resist. "How is the poor guy?"

Bulma wrapped her arms about herself as if she sensed a chill. "Not too good, Son. He's been vomiting up blood ever since you left. We've got to make this wish now, before he gets any worse!"

"All right. Follow me. Wait... we can't leave him alone..."

"Krillin's looking after him the short time we're gone. This is the only time I'm leaving him." Bulma said. Goku nodded.

XXX

The wind suddenly got cold. It was already nightime outside, and though the last few days of autumn had been proud and warm, a new wind seemed to be turning, and with it a breath of winter stole through them as they stood before the gathered dragon balls. It seemed strangely odd that it was just the two of them here. Usually when the grand spectacle of the dragon was summoned everyone came to see it. Tonight however, it was just her and her oldest friend.

Goku approached the dragon balls and held his arms high above his head. "Dragon, hear me now and grant my wish! I summon you!"

The sky, already black, seemed to turn darker still. Racing clouds gathered, and a single shard of forked lightning cut through the heavens like a sword. A groan of menacing thunder rumbled, and a forge of light began to come together. Out of that light came the yellow profile of a long, towering dragon. Bulma, never used to this amazing display of power, stepped back and out a hand over her mouth. Her hair blew around her head from a sudden gust of wind. Goku however stood firm, his eyes locked onto the gossamer shape that was quickly materializing. Finally a long, emerald dragon with cruel red eyes appeared through the light, and he curled high above them with his signature antlers upon his brow. Once he was complete, he bore his red hot gaze upon them and his voice boomed low and deep. "**Why have you disturbed my slumber? Speak now**."

They hesitated – both in awe and sudden complexity. How exactly should they phrase their wish?

The dragon continued speaking, his jaw moving slowly. "**You have collected all seven dragon balls. And as it is written, I will grant you one wish within my power**."

Bulma looked to Goku and nodded at him to go ahead. Addressing the dragon, Goku cleared his throat and spoke his words carefully and clearly. "Shenlong, here is my wish: remove the mark on the saiyan prince named Vegeta."

They waited, their gaze glued to the dragon's. Finally Shenlong broke the tense silence with something they did not want to hear. "**Your wish cannot be granted**."

They both gaped in shock. Goku's consternation cleared quickly however. He took a page from Vegeta's book when his complexion turned into anger. "Why not?"

"**It is beyond my power**."

Goku put his head in his hands. Bulma approached the dragon instead, feeling small and insignificant beneath the being's steely gaze. "Shenlong, hear my wish. Help my prince live through this until we find a cure."

Goku looked at her, mouth open in shock. He obviously had other ideas and wishes to propose to the all-powerful-dragon, and Bulma had gone and opened her mouth. But it was too late. Shenlong's eyes brightened and the whole length of his body seemed to pulse with white light.

"**Your wish has been granted**."

Bulma did a little yelp of excitement and clapped her hands together.

Then: "**You may have another wish. State it now**."

Bulma looked to Goku in the unexpectedness of their situation.

Goku smiled and rubbed at the back of his head. "I forgot that our dragon can grant two wishes now, thanks to our guardian Dende! Go ahead, Bulma. Make another one for him. He deserves it."

"But... but what? If the dragon can't cure him, and we've already asked for his help on that subject, what else _can _I wish for?"

Goku shrugged. "I dunno. Wish for something that'll cheer him up."

The dragon glared down at them and growled: "**Well? Are you going to make your second wish**?"

Bulma, in her dismay, looked as confused and as upset as ever. Then, in a flash of light, _something _did come to her, and her face brightened. "Yes! Dragon, I would like to make my second wish! Can you please give Vegeta a new tail?"

Now it was Goku's turn to look dismayed. And somewhat stunned. However, a slow, sure smile developed on his face.

"It'll be a little 'get well' gift for Vegeta." She mused, happily.

"...**It is done. Fare you well**."

Suddenly the dragon seemed to fuzz out, his once brilliant profile clouding into the yellow light he was born from. The dragon balls turned white hot beneath his shadow, and all at once they rose into the air when Shenlong disintegrated – back into the magical orbs. Then the balls zoomed apart, each one heading in a random direction far, far from here. They went so far that even Goku did not know where they had gone.

Once the lightshow was over, and the dark of night returned to normal, as did the strange weather, Goku approached a suddenly weeping Bulma. And he knew why she was crying. Shenlong had gone, and there was nothing here. No medicine, no nothing. Had the first wish not worked at all?

He stood beside her for a moment, unsure how to comfort her. She was not his to touch. She made the contact, and sobbed into Goku's chest. They had pegged everything on the wish. And now nothing had been solved. Goku didn't know what to do. He almost felt like she had wasted the wish. But perhaps her sudden, instinctive move had been right after all. If the dragon could not remove the mark, what could _they_ do? At least he hoped her wish hadn't been in vain... but he still wasn't convinced she had done the right thing.

"Bulma..." He whispered, "look, over there, where the dragon balls were. Go on." He encouraged when she continued to cry.

She did so, her eyes blurry with tears. There, five yards from them was a vial on the ground standing upright and looking a lot like a potion. And it was filled with some kind of blue liquid. Her heart suddenly filled with hope. She let go of Goku and ran to the bottle. She dropped beside it and picked it up. It was a small thing really, no bigger than a standard wine glass, but the liquid felt heavy inside.

"What do you think it is?" She asked.

Goku came up behind her. "I think Shenlong left Vegeta medicine. If the dragon is as good as his word, I'd say that liquid inside is very important. You give that to your saiyan at all costs, and make sure he drinks every last drop."

Bulma, in light of Goku's words, hugged the bottle to her. "Let's go home." She said. "I need to see him."

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**Dib07:** I wonder how many of you saw that coming and knew that the wish wouldn't work out? XD But since I am fairly new to the DBZ fandom here on FFN, none of you know quite yet how I plot, scheme and my generally evil way with certain characters. So yes, I have not much else to say at the bottom of my chapters other than I freakin' love Vegeta. So yeah. Any comments, feedback would be appreciated. Thanks for reading, see you next time!


	9. Finding an Answer (Bulma's Despair)

**Dib07: **Here is another little update and it will be the last for awhile. I'm really busy with work and my novel, and I won't get as much time to update as I usually did. So enjoy, and whenever you want an update asap when you can wait no more, let me know. :)

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**Chapter Nine: Finding an Answer (Bulma's Despair)**

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"What did I tell you, you silly little monkey? All it takes is a little bit of practise! Ho ho!" Frieza could not help but chuckle to himself as his little orphaned child tried his very best at swimming. It seemed that saiyans were excellent all-round fighters, but weren't quite so good at water or floatation in general. Then again, planet Vegeta had been sorely lacking in lakes and oceans as it had mostly been ruddy hills, ugly mountains and lots of chasms.

Little Vegeta, still in his sixth year, managed to grab the floating duck that had been thrown out for him. He knew he could swim if he really wanted to, and he wasn't afraid of the water. It was just what the water _did _that he didn't like_. _He wasn't in full control when he was in the water, and the pressure was strange on his body. And most of all: he couldn't breathe.

"I've had enough, father." He said.

Frieza smiled, but it was a cold smile. Not that Frieza could help it. Even he could not display warmth, even if he had wanted to. Lately he had been making Vegeta call him 'father' more out of amusement than practicability. Not that the prince knew this, yet: but for Frieza it was working. The other childless aliens quickly grew jealous, especially when that child was the youngest member of a now endangered species and was a cute little runt of a thing. Not that this would last long. Sooner rather than later Frieza would drop the fatherly title altogether and make his adopted son call him 'Lord' and 'Master' like everybody else. But until then, life was good for the little prince.

Using the duck to guide him back to shore, Vegeta scrabbled up onto the bank and dried himself off with a cloth.

"Say, Vegeta," Frieza began, getting up from the rock he had sat on, "how about you and I pay Inue a visit? Those ruffians have been giving our scouting ships quite a bit of trouble. What do you say?"

Inue was no place for youngsters who were inexperienced in battle, but Vegeta came along to pick off the cripples and weaklings, or he watched Zarbon and Dodoria wreck carnage through the ranks. Frieza always loved such episodes of blood and chaos. He liked to sit back in his chair in the ship and watch it all play out on the vid screens while sipping his vintage wines.

"I'd love to." He gave Frieza an equally cold grin. One Nappa would see much of when Vegeta grew older.

"Good. Then it's settled. I was going to leave Inue until my birthday, but those rattlers keep being bad news for my Galactic Empire. Run along now, Vegeta and report back to the ship. If we leave now, we'll get to planet Inue in as little as five days. Oh, and put on your gloves and boots. Hygiene is everything on my ship."

Vegeta did his usual ceremonial bow before the greater alien, and then quickly pulled on his battle clothes, gloves and boots and then his saiyan suit. Once he was dressed with his little tail wagging behind him he dashed off to the ship that had docked on a long, flat hill. They had arrived here to gather _fyyr _berries, a special, tasty food that the aliens loved (it was also mildly addictive). Not only was it nutritious but filling too. Frieza came here once every six months to harvest the food. A ton of berries could keep an army going for up to two months, and that was good when voyages could be long. So very long.

Upon entering the ship, he reported to Captain Ginyu who usually saluted him when he was with Frieza. This time he only smiled when he saw that the little saiyan was all alone. "What's wrong? Lost Master Frieza?"

Vegeta shook his head. "He's still outside, he won't be long."

"Sure, whatever."

He continued on, and turned down a metal corridor and into a lift. He keyed in the floor and the lift ascended several decks before it came to the living quarters. Unlike warriors, who slept in poor, crowded conditions, sometimes sleeping in a single room bunking with eight others, Vegeta lived and slept on the highest deck and with Lord Frieza himself. It sure paid to be the Master's 'pet' as much as he hated it.

Though he hadn't done much today, he was worn out. Swimming had taken it out of him, and earlier he had been training with General Nappa. Whenever they landed on a planet he did his best to train. It was better in the open air, and not having to worry about damaging Lord Frieza's ship. He was just about to key in the code for his bedroom when he heard a thin, flat voice behind him. And it was one he knew well.

"Well, well, well. The little runt has returned from his lessons. How precious."

Vegeta turned to glare at Zarbon: Frieza's right-hand man and lieutenant. He used to be Frieza's favourite before Vegeta came along, and ever since that day when Frieza had taken a fancy to the boy prince, Zarbon had taken it personally, and had done his very best since then to tease and to bully the hapless saiyan. "What do you want, Zarbon?" He asked. He was getting used to these sour greetings, and every time Zarbon showed his ugly mug, the saiyan refused to back down.

"I was just coming to make sure you used flea powder on that wretched tail of yours. How Lord Frieza puts up with it is beyond me." He kept getting closer. No one else was coming. This section: being Frieza's domain was mostly private, and Zarbon was using this to his advantage.

"Stay away!" Vegeta growled at once when the green creature was less than three feet from him.

"Or what? You're going to cry to daddy? You know what'll happen if you tell Frieza. It won't be me that comes after you. It'll be Dodoria, or Kiwi or Captain Ginyu. Besides, Frieza won't believe you. Saiyans don't snivel and cry!" On this he was painfully true. Vegeta would never tell Frieza anything simply because of his pride. It was oh so easy to see Zarbon out of the picture. The green alien could make all the threats he wanted, but Frieza would protect the prince and kill any who hurt him. But Vegeta wanted to enact personal revenge, and he couldn't do that if they were already dead. Vegeta stared at him defiantly. Zarbon's grin stretched. "Clean that tail!"

"No." He went back to the door. Zarbon saw his back turn and took his chance. He grabbed the prince's tail and pulled as hard as he could. Vegeta went tumbling backwards. His head hit the floor. When he went to get up, Zarbon grasped his arm. "You smelly monkeys." He said bitterly. "Frieza's blinded by affection for you, but sooner or later he'll know the truth and know how conniving and traitorous you all are!"

"Let go of me!"

Zarbon punched his arm. It hurt, and Vegeta's tail curled because of it, but he refused to cry out. Zarbon wanted to hear a cry of mercy, he wanted to see tears, hear him scream. But Vegeta would never give him the satisfaction.

"I never trusted your species. I bet you hold secret meetings with Raditz and Nappa don't you? Well, I'll uncover your secret."

He gave the boy a kick for good measure. He slammed into the wall. Tears threatened to spill but he fought back the easiness of just such an escape. He would be heartless. He would be cold, just like Frieza. Only then would he be saved from the slave that was emotion.

Because emotion was worthless except anger. Because anger leant strength.

"Good night my little prince." Zarbon sneered. He went to tread on Vegeta's tail as he left, but the saiyan made sure to move it out the way in plenty of time. He watched as the green alien went down the corridor and disappeared from sight. Vegeta stood up, dusted his clothes and successfully keyed in his number. Once he was in the safety of his own room he locked the door behind him. He almost couldn't control the rage that flooded through him. "I'll kill you Zarbon. Whatever it takes. Someday I'll be the bully, and you'll only watch and bleed."

Before he knew it he was thirty years old and on a dry, barren planet called Namek. His organs damaged and bleeding, he lay on the grass looking into Frieza's wintry red eyes. The alien he had come to hate beyond all else raised his finger and shot out that bullet of ki. It sliced straight through Vegeta's chest – his armour reduced to nothing. Vegeta couldn't even scream. Blood – there was too much blood spilling out every orifice he had.

"No... no! No!" He began chanting it like a mantra, turning his head left and right, his whole body nettled with pain. "Please... please n-no..." He tasted blood on his lips and this reinforced the nightmare. A cool hand was touching his burning forehead, and so trapped in the dream he was that he barely noticed the touch until something was removed from his mouth and he was sat up. He coughed, and then he began to be sick. Frieza was walking towards him, and he couldn't move to get away.

"Vegeta, hush. Hush, it's me. You're okay, shhh."

His left eyebrow jerked and his hands clenched. He retched out more blood, but the entrapping image of Frieza was starting to fade. "Uh, help..."

"I am, hun. Easy, I've got you."

That voice... so familiar! The nightmare receded. He smelt the hint of jasmine and lavender, but mostly blood and sweat. He felt and heard the bed sheets rustling. A damp cloth was being gently dabbed along his lower jaw and bottom lip. Every so often a soft hand would stroke the side of his face. Slowly he lifted his tired eyes. Bulma's hazy face struggled to come into focus.

"Here there, sweetie!" He heard her say. Both hands cupped his cheeks this time and he breathed in her scent. "It's good to see those eyes again! Here, hun, drink this, but slowly." Though he couldn't really see much, he smelt the water before she lifted it towards him. He tried to feel behind – and then he realized he was being propped up by lots of pillows. "Drink." She requested of him, bringing the cool glass closer to his lips.

The thing was he simply wasn't thirsty. He just felt sick. His own ki seemed to waver like a fever too, and it distressed him. How long had he lain asleep for? What day was it? Why wasn't he in the forest, raging on the landscape?

"Bulma..."

"Hush, don't speak. Drink. It's water with a bit of sugar added in."

The glass of water looked too cold. Trickles of liquid raced down the sides. His poorly tummy cramped. To try and escape the hurt, he closed his eyes and tensed up in his semi-sitting position and cringed to one side. Bulma somehow must have understood his agony. One moment he felt burning heat – the next he felt warmth that was somehow cool at the same time. He opened his eyes to see that she had laid a hand on his stomach: and somehow chasing away the pain. He looked at her, bewitched. She was coming into better focus now, and he was able to make out her sad smile.

"I was saving this for after your drink, but I think you need it now." He watched her trade the glass of water for something else. Now she held a bottle in her hand. It looked like a witch's potion, and the liquid inside was a pale blue colour. "We tried to wish the mark away, but it didn't work. He left me this instead. It'll help, I know it will."

Vegeta's eyes flared open a little wider. "You... y-you called the dragon?" He broke into rusty coughs. Without the breathing mask on him, his breathing had become that much harder.

"Take it easy." She rubbed his small stomach a final time before using both hands to pop off the cork in the strange looking bottle. "We did, while you slept. Now you _must_ drink this, Vegeta."

"What does it d-do?" Oh gods he felt so awfully weak. He couldn't even sit up for himself or try to get up. He was in pyjamas again. He was in bed. Why was he so weak?

"I'm not sure, but I trust in Shenlong. If anything it should make you feel a lot better."

"I'm going to be s-sick!" He blurted helplessly as she brought the bottle over to his mouth. The sorrow on her face hurt him more than the cramps ever could. In the next moment he had turned away and he was heaving into a bowl Bulma had provided in time. The effort was too costly, and after he had heaved out barely anything – just stomach fluid – he lay against his pillows breathing hard. His struggles were soothed however. He felt the face mask being equipped over his mouth and nose and he drew in easier breaths.

"Oh Vegeta, you really need to take this medicine." He heard her but he couldn't respond. He was too deeply exhausted. After a moment after, she added in despair: "If you don't drink it soon, hun, I am going to get Son Goku to help. I mean it."

_Oh good Katan, not Kakarott... anyone but him._

While he was thinking this his energy left him, and he fell unconscious.

_~ Three hours earlier ~_

"You see, that was why Shenlong couldn't grant you your wish." Dr. Brief explained. Bulma and Goku were in his lab. His resulting research from the 'mark' was spread out all over the table in the form of paper documents and computer data readouts. "From what I have gathered, and this includes the blood sample too: the mark's influence is now so deep that the poisons have intertwined with Vegeta's nervous system and his body chemistry. Destroy the mark, and you destroy him."

"But what_ is_ it? And how can we get rid of it?" Bulma cried, still in tears.

"The mark is made up of alien DNA that is immune to all our antibiotics, medicines and drugs. It started off as a tiny blemish, and over the years it spread outwards little by little. Then, as recently as this week, it grew out of control, snared Vegeta's nervous system and even now it continues to wreck havoc with his body. As the results show, Vegeta's immune system has been fighting it this entire time – since in fact Frieza was killed. But his immune system began to weaken shortly after, and this cellular virus kept probing for weaknesses. As soon as it got an edge on Vegeta's health, it spread extraordinarily, and now it's in its last stages. This toxin is feeding off his energy and organs. If we cannot stop it, Vegeta will bleed from the inside out. You could say that he is decaying - or... rotting from the inside, as effectively as I can put it. Already his stomach has suffered grave damage, and his lungs are filling up with fluid. His kidneys are showing signs of failing too. He is full of infection. If this goes on, without treatment, Vegeta has a few days at most to live."

Bulma walked away from the table and collapsed on a chair.

Goku was at a complete loss. "What about amputating his arm? Surely that will stop it?"

"As much as I would like to hope, I doubt that will work. This alien DNA in his system has spread out into clusters, and it's down his arteries and just about everywhere else. It's too late. We can't isolate it now and cutting off his arm won't really help. For some reason it is attracted solely to his ki. I tried a sample of the toxin on my blood cells and nothing happened, but with Vegeta's it just attacked."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that this venom only hunts Vegeta's own unique ki."

"Ki..." Goku reminisced quietly. An idea slowly began to take hold. He straightened with realization when it struck him. "My energy! I forgot to give some of it to Vegeta to see if it would help him fight this thing!" He charged up the stairs, Bulma following close behind. Dr. Brief regarded their departure with surprise. Maybe the saiyan really was onto something.

But when they saw that Vegeta was still asleep in bed, Krillin sitting beside him with a comic flipped open on his lap, they relaxed. Goku shook his head. "It's no good. Vegeta has to be awake and willing to receive my energy. We'll have to wait until he wakes."

"But that could be hours!" Bulma cried in frustration.

"I know. Give him rest. His poor body needs it. Then, if he doesn't wake by ten in the morning, we'll have to give him a senzu bean and take it from there."

These were Goku's words, and though it was hard to be patient and wait, Bulma agreed. She filled up her lonely hours doing the laundry and helping Trunks with his homework. Goku was either in the Atrium observing the dinosaurs that lived there or he was in the huge public cafeteria selecting himself a large breakfast. It made Bulma think of how little food Vegeta had eaten within the course of a week, and towards the last two days he had been on a liquid food diet because he could not keep anything else down.

What was she going to do? And how would she explain his condition to Trunks?

_~ Three hours later ~_

"...It looked like he was having a really bad dream, Goku, and I tried to get him to drink something, _anything, _but he couldn't manage a single drop of water, or the medicine! He just collapsed!" Shortly after Vegeta's brief time of consciousness, Bulma had gone to find Goku. Neither of them were doctors, but Goku had a far better understanding of ki than Bulma ever could. "We must get him to drink, and I swear if that medicine doesn't help than we will have to take him to the hospital!"

"He'll drink it all right. And I really want to give him some of my ki. It might be all that's needed to beat this poison of his." Goku advised, hoping at once that is words rang true.

"I sure hope so."

Goku went into the bedroom to find exactly what Bulma had described. Vegeta lay unconscious in bed and old blood had pooled into the pillow below his mouth. Standing on one side of the bed, Goku touched Vegeta's nearest arm and concentrated on his ki. He didn't want to send too much into Vegeta and injure his organs further, so it was hard trying to weigh up the right dose for him.

As a little test he eased a small portion of ki into Vegeta that was enough to keep a human feeling energized for a day. He didn't dare give him anymore. Once he had done it Bulma pushed him out of the way to get closer to her prince. The supply of energy had started to work. Vegeta's eyebrows twitched and his mouth opened and closed. He was slowly waking. After patiently waiting another minute or so, Vegeta opened his misty grey eyes.

"Bulma..." He rasped, setting his hooded eyes on her.

She smiled. "Hey handsome. I lost you there for a moment."

His torpidly forming smile dropped from his face when he saw Kakarott standing behind her. "What the hell did you do to me, Kakarott? I feel..." he struggled to describe exactly _how _it felt. "...odd."

"We needed you awake, Vegeta, to take some very important medicine, so I... urm... kinda gave you a bit of my ki! Cool, huh?"

"You jackass!" Vegeta _actually _lurched upright to take a swing at him, but something hurt inside, and he backed down before Bulma even had a chance to scold his overzealous actions.

"You big lug!" She said, "hold still!" And she started uncorking the potion containing the unusual fluid.

Vegeta however kept his unforgiving eyes on Goku. "Don't you ever do that again! I don't want your vile, inferior ki anywhere near mine, you hear?"

"I seriously want to slap you sometimes, Vegeta," Bulma said, helping him sit up with one hand on the neck of the bottle, "now open that big mouth of yours. Wider!" She snapped when he only opening his jaws a little. Then, being careful not to spill it, Bulma tipped it towards his pale lips. When he first tasted it however, he scowled and drew away.

"Ugh! Repulsive! What d-did you put in t-there? Sour milk? You fucking trollop!"

"Are you _that _dumb? Don't you understand? You _need _to drink this!" Bulma raged at him. Her face flushed red and she seemed to tower over her partner. "We wasted a goddamn wish on you, so you had better not waste it, or you will be helping Trunks with his homework every single night for the rest of his school year!"

Vegeta, pallid in the face already, seemed to grow a shade whiter.

_I guess I know who the boss of this relationship is._ Goku thought with a deft smile.

Vegeta promptly opened his mouth and Bulma gave him the bottle again to drink from. It was just as well that she was as obstinate as he was. Thanks to her impulsiveness and determination he drank every drop, despite its awful taste. She gave him a sip of water to help rid him of the taste, and then his eyes began to drop. Bulma pulled towards him, worried. Goku placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel Vegeta's ki being nursed by whatever it was that he had drank, and he was regressing into a natural, healing sleep while the medicine did its magic.

"It's all right, Bulma. Let him sleep. He'll come round in a few hours and he won't fall unconscious. I promise."

Bulma still looked worried. They helped lay Vegeta back down and in no time at all he had nodded off to sleep again. But this time, unlike his stupor-induced state, he turned over onto his side and snuggled against his pillow. He would sleep naturally this time. And when he went to lay on his side, Goku caught the briefest of glimpses of a tail. Bulma's second wish had worked! Vegeta would get a mild shock when he would see it!

Bulma planted a loving kiss on Vegeta's throat before stepped away to stand by Goku. She crossed her arms, her mind still undecided. "But the dragon couldn't cure him. The medicine was just a preventive measure, like a painkiller masking a wound."

"Yeah." He turned to her. "Give me a few days. I'll think of something."

"And if we come up with nothing?"

"Don't think like that. Vegeta needs someone else to be strong for a change, and that's going to be us. You are a genius, Bulma. With both of us working on a solution it won't take very long to find, surely?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm afraid."

"Afraid?"

"Of losing him."

Goku took her hand, and squeezed it. There was something he could do, but he didn't particularly like it. He had been to the afterlife, and he knew where hell was. It had stared at him, like an abyss exhaling fumes of rot, madness and strife. He had continued his own path back then... and had never thought of it again until now. It had sent shivers up his spine – cold shivers. He needed to know as much about Vegeta's mark _now. _He could read the prince's thoughts, but it seemed wrong to do it without his permission, and even_ if_ he did, Vegeta was only the receiver of Frieza's touch. He wouldn't know any more about it. But Goku knew someone who would.

Going into hell was no light matter. He could only spend half an hour in there (King Kai told him once while he was training for his spirit bomb), and if he was still in there when time rang out, he would never be able to find his way out again. Unable to survive, he would die down there, with his soul most likely staying trapped down there too. Forever.

And that was if he even found Frieza.

He left Bulma's side. His eyes were sharp, his pupils a dark, cold-onyx. It was time.

**TBC soon**


End file.
